Psycho
by Lotus.Under.Thorns
Summary: Sasuke has returned and is in worse shape than before. Even worse is his assigned psychotherapist turns out to be an 'old' face! It seems Sakura wasn't the only girl hurt when he left. Can he recover from what he's been through? Can she? Reviews welcomed
1. Chapter 1

_Reader's Note: _Okay. So here's the story. It's been looked over and some changes have been made. (For the fifth time, you owe me Akemi!). To save room (seeing as it's not my story so I can't write a ton) here's some background info.

The OC is Akemi. It's set when Sasuke has returned to Konoha _after_ the ordeal w/ his bro. She has not seen him since the time when he left his teammates 'n whatnot. And both sisters (my OC is merely mentioned) are skilled in _mind_ powers. Everything should be explained as you read on. I like it. Hope you do too! Chappie ONE…

_Disclaimer:_ We don't own Naruto…or Sakura (thank god) or Sasuke. We DO own our OCs. I do not own this story…my sis does however. What do _you_ own?

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"He's been in a comatose state for two days now. I'm afraid there's nothing we can do at this point," a nurse was explaining to the two ninja in the sterilized white confines of a hospital waiting room.

"But he will wake up, right? I mean he did last time when he was recovering from that...the curse mark." Worried blue eyes, normally bright and confident, glanced towards the closed door down the hall.

"That was different, Naruto." His pink-haired teammate looked at him sympathetically. "The only thing we can do is wait."

"I don't think so! I'm not going to sit around doing nothing after all we've been through to bring him back, believe it!" Determination replaced his momentary depression as he rose to the new challenge, forgetting to keep his voice down in the infirmary. He could bounce back like a ping-pong ball. "What's wrong with him anyway?"

The nurse looked doubtful for a minute. "Right now we're attributing it to trauma."

"Of course it's trauma. What kind of trauma?" Sakura pressed.

The other medic-nin had hoped to evade that touchy question. "Well, he's sustained some nasty blows to the head. But Tsunade-sama believes it might be psychological," she read off her clipboard. "It seems to be…" she hesitated, glancing from one concerned face to the other, "a coma he doesn't want to wake up from."

Silence settled over them as the gravity of the diagnosis sank in. Finally, attempting to reassure the two, the nurse added, "Although there is one thing we haven't tried yet…"

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It had to be a dream...

The sickeningly medicinal smell of the hospital assaulted her as she pulled open the door.

She wasn't honestly doing this...

All too soon the main desk loomed closer. She routinely checked in and was directed where to go.

Yes she was.

Her footsteps sounded hollow; the echoes pounded in her ears, drowning out every other sound.

Three years...

The entire atmosphere only helped remind her why she hated hospitals.

And this would be their first meeting (if you could call it that) since then.

Stopping in front of the medic-nin waiting for her, she returned his greeting somewhat distractedly.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Akemi-san. We would've called you in sooner, but we wanted to make sure his condition was stable..."

She forced herself to at least half listen to what the doctor was telling her, even though she already knew what she was supposed to be doing there. Taking a deep breath, trying to clear the haze that clouded her psyche, she entered the intimidating room.

For a moment she couldn't bring herself to move closer. If she had thought the hospital in general was bad, the sight before her now made it hundreds of times worse.

He looked even paler under the harsh fluorescent lighting. His breathing was shallow, but one could tell by the discontent etched in his features that it wasn't a peaceful sleep. Every few seconds a high-pitched beep from one of the machines filled the silent void.

Akemi sank heavily onto the plastic-covered chair next to the bed and sighed. She had prepared herself, at least as best as she could, for this. She had even felt some grim self-satisfaction when she didn't cry or rush to his side after hearing he was back. And yet no matter how many times she'd told herself to leave her heart out of it, it proved to be easier said than done.

_But why?_ she argued with herself, the same argument she always had. He had left her. She had gotten on just fine without him. End of story.

And now she had a job to do.

Focusing her chakra, the mind specialist submerged herself in a trance, blocking all else out. She was aware only of the heat on the back of her neck, a sensation that faded as she connected to his subconscience. It was relatively easy, but not surprisingly so, considering Sasuke's current vulnerability.

The first thing Akemi felt when she wandered into the fire-colored maze was pain, precise and shooting. She winced, her hand going instinctively to her left shoulder. She willed herself to separate her senses from his before she lost her concentration completely.

Then she saw him.

It was the same Sasuke, only older, and...colder. He pinned her with a black, emotionless gaze, his expression impassive.

Akemi froze, caught somewhere between fear and another emotion she quickly shoved away, though she was careful not to show either. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until it came out in a whisper. "Sasuke…"

Recognition flashed in his eyes, but the next instant the mask was up again. "What are you doing here?" he asked dangerously.

Grasping for words, Akemi didn't know if she could answer that question herself. She had been wondering the same thing all morning.

"Trying to help you. They sent for me."

"They."

"The doctors. You're in the hospital, if you didn't know that."

"Hn. I don't need your help. Or anyone else's."

She tried to combat his self-assured statement by being reasonable, something that was getting more difficult by the second. "If you're perfectly okay here, why don't you just wake up?"

"I don't care what happens to me. I've severed all the bonds holding me to that world." He said it with no remorse, no sense of self-pity. It was just a cruel certainty.

"No you haven't. You're giving up. You'd rather turn into a vegetable? Let them take you off life support? Allow your clan to cease to exist? The Sasuke I knew had a future." Her tone dripped with bitterness.

A shadow of his trademark smirk appeared. "The Sasuke you knew was weak. And he's dead now."

A nauseating weight dropped into the pit of her stomach as if she'd just swallowed her heart. Fury rose up and strangled fear, dominated reason. Her eyes narrowed and she scowled openly. "Well what do you call yourself? You're dead, too."

He seethed with rage and pain, building up an impenetrable wall around himself. With inhuman speed he closed the distance between them. Soul-less eyes bore into hers as he hissed, "Then why are you trying so hard to save me?"

"_I..."_

"_Don't say it, Akemi."_

She hadn't been able to stop him once before. It wouldn't happen again.

He must have sensed her thoughts. Taking advantage of her hesitation, he growled, "You can leave now."

A raw blast of force pushed at her from all sides, driving her to her knees. Darkness devoured the color as a loud rumble tore through the atmosphere. She was being forced outside the icy barrier shielding his mind. He was the last thing she saw, blending into the surrounding black, before she was tugged back to her own body.

When Akemi came to, she was faintly aware of being pulled out of the way, breathless and struggling to stand against the wall. All hell had broken loose in the hospital room. Sasuke's heartrate had spiked dramatically, his brain activity off the charts. She pressed herself closer to the wall, hoping to get absorbed by it, as white-clad medic-nin rushed past her.

"Akemi-san, you'll have to come with me to the waiting room..."

The nurse's voice had a watery quality to it, making it hard for Akemi to follow what she was saying. Then she plunged into darkness once more.

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_A/N: _Chapter 1 out of the way! Good, bad, boring? This was just a setup for things to come. For those of you who aren't too fond of OCs, I'm trying to add other real characters as I go. Besides, it's more fun to write for Sasuke anyway. ; )


	2. Chapter 2

_R/N:_ Second chapter! Redone to better your brain!

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_How long have I been out?_

Akemi's eyes flickered open, only to squint shut again in the overbright light. From a distance someone was talking to her...or maybe to someone else. She couldn't be sure, but she focused on the voices, trying to pull herself out of her own subconscience.

"Akemi-chan!" she was greeted as her sight adjusted to the luminous white ceiling hanging above her.

"Shhh! Naruto!" a female voice scolded.

Akemi pushed herself into a sitting position, realizing she was still in the waiting room. Maybe she hadn't been out for very long. Her head throbbed. Hovering near her were Naruto and Sakura.

"Here, you probably need this." The medic-nin-in-training handed her a cup of water and a small red pill.

_Does this mean I'll have to stay in this nightmare? sigh Where's the blue pill when you need it? _Akemi must've studied it uncertainly for a bit too long, because Sakura went on to reassure her, "Don't worry. It's just aspirin."

Finally accepting it, she washed it down, pushing her past ordeal from her mind.

But not for long.

"Hey, what happened in there anyway?" Naruto wouldn't let up. Akemi couldn't blame him, though. She had always respected him for his loyalty, as crazy as it was to be chasing after a "traitor" bent on revenge. Right then, though, his determination wasn't helping.

She shook her head, avoiding their expectant looks. Sakura glanced at her worriedly, then shot the persistent blonde a warning glare. To Akemi she said, "You don't have to tell us anything now. Tsunade-sama will probably want to hear everything anyway."

As if on cue, the fifth Hokage stepped out of Sasuke's room and came towards the small group.

"How is he, Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked, her anxiously clasped hands and pleading eyes belying her calm demeanor.

Placing her hands on her hips, the top medic-nin looked down at Akemi's still seated figure. "Well, I don't know what you did, but you awakened something. He'll be fine. Maybe just a little bit angry when he wakes up."

"_When_?" Naruto broke in. "So he will wake up?"

She gave him a look. "Don't be so surprised. I thought you had more faith in him than that." Before he could open his big mouth again, Tsunade addressed the young specialist. "Want to explain what happened? You don't look good."

All eyes were on Akemi. She was starting to get a bit claustrophobic. But as much as she wanted to sleep everything away, she knew **his** presence would haunt her. So...

"I'll tell you what I know, but it's not much..."

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Why the hell was he here? The ones who would call themselves his friends had returned him to Konoha like a pet that had gone astray. Which wouldn't have been so terrible, considering he was in a coma anyway...

But then they sent **her** in.

What had made her think she had the right to interfere with something that was none of her concern? She didn't know the half of it.

Sasuke glared resentfully out the window of his hospital room, watching the setting sun streak the sky and stain the walls orange and blood red.

The brief three and a half days he'd been conscious passed in a disorienting cycle of waking and sleeping and battling back the sickness that threatened to overwhelm him. He wouldn't accept any visitors; not that they'd let many people near him, anyway. And if anyone did try to enter, raging and swearing usually kept them at bay.

Then there were the ANBU stationed outside his door. No doubt there was one outside the window, too. Just in case. Sasuke honestly thought they might as well have chained him to the bed.

He grimaced as pain ripped through the left side of his body, blossoming from his shoulder. His hand clasped over the curse mark, fingers digging into his skin. He had almost forgotten how much it could hurt. Now he seemed to be going through some kind of withdrawal, after...

A medic-nin stuck her head in, interrupting his thoughts.

"Sorry to disturb you, Uchiha-san, but I was told to check in on you."

_I haven't seen this one before. Hn. The others must've given up by now._

The grim ninja glanced quickly at the bedside table...and was once again disappointed. Everything worth throwing he had already thrown (and consequentially broken). The rest had been confiscated before he could aim it at any more heads. So he was left with the table itself. But tossing that just to get rid of a young, innocent medic-nin might be going a bit overboard. He'd save it for the more difficult targets.

He could only hope she was easily intimidated.

"Like I said before, I don't want _anyone_ in my room. Get the fuck out," he sneered.

Her eyes widened before she scurried out of his forbidding sight.

_That should take care of them for tonight._ The sun sank lower and shadows crept in, replacing the light. Sasuke leaned against the cold metal headboard of the bed, his eyes half closed, still watchful and distrusting. What he wouldn't do to drown out all feeling, all memories.

The nighttime was the worst.

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_A/N:_ I felt like throwing in the red pill/ blue pill thing from _The Matrix_. Y'know, red stay in the Matrix and find the "truth," blue wake up and it's like nothing crazy happened. Anywho, thanks for stickin' with it! It should get better…or at least more insane…

_R/N: _: D Blank stare no comment. Please review! We already know the people reading this are awesome! Send us some feedback n be even more...awesome-er... hehe.


	3. Chapter 3

_R/N:_ This is a comparitively short chap. But written with the same care you've come to love. . . Okay I know. This is a _story_, not a cake. : P

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Akemi had only returned to the hospital once after that, but even then she didn't get very far. She didn't want to see him, not yet, not like he was. Especially not after the stories she'd heard from Naruto and Sakura.

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"_Hmph. It was a pretty short visit if you ask me. Who stuck a bedpan up his ass?" Naruto slouched in one of the waiting room chairs, arms folded, glaring at the unwelcoming Uchiha's closed door._

_Akemi smirked in spite of herself. Sakura glanced up from the book she was reading – Coma, A Healing Journey: A Guide for Family, Friends and Helpers. "Well we're not exactly on good terms with him, Naruto. No one is." She explained to the fellow kunoichi, "Sasuke hasn't been letting anyone near his room–"_

"_Yeah, he wouldn't even tolerate Kakashi-sensei! And I got a vase thrown at my head! What was that about?! Sheesh, Sakura, I didn't know he hated your flowers that much!"_

"_Hey! Naruto!"_

"_Awww, c'mon, it was just a joke!"_

"_It was a bad idea in the first place. We should've known, especially after what Akemi and Tsunade-sama told us."_

"_So he's that bad, even awake?" Akemi asked hesitantly._

_Naruto frowned slightly, but in an instant he countered it with another sarcastic remark. "Heheh. Probably wor–" Sakura abruptly pounded his head with her fist. "OWW! Sakura-cha-AN!"_

"_Just be careful if you do...visit...him."_

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Akemi was actually relieved to hear that, soon after he woke up, Sasuke insisted upon being released early (and he was gladly released).

Then she got her new assignment.

"What? Now you have to baby-sit the murderer with anger management problems?" Jiyou protested when her sister confided in her. "What did _okaasan_ say?"

"I didn't really tell her the whole truth…Just that I'm going to be working with Sasuke."

"Yeah, as your psycho patient! Why can't they get someone else to do it, like Sakura? She'd like that."

"Ugh! Don't even mention that. She can't; she's a medic-nin. And Sasuke's not a psycho, he just…needs psychological help." Jiyou rolled her eyes. That's what she just said, in one word – _psycho_. Akemi saw it. "Don't roll your eyes at me. You know our clan's one of the only ones that specializes in psychology."

"Right. Now you're defending why they stuck _you_ with him? I thought you didn't want to take the job."

There was a pause as Akemi tried to find the words to justify her reasoning. "Welll…I'm not sure I want anyone else to take it either."

Jiyou looked at her defiantly, seeing through her sister. "You still like him, even after he practically beat you up."

"I do not! He did not! But that doesn't make him less of an ass…"

"Hm. I guess you could always call off for personal reasons." Her voice dropped to a mutter. "Like…liking Sasuke's ass too much."

Akemi still caught Jiyou's sly remark. "Actually, I didn't get a chance to see his ass," she shot back sarcastically.

After that the conversation got too off-topic.

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_A/N:_ Give credit where credit is due…The book Sakura was reading is real. Actually I chose it just for the title. So, how's Akemi's first day on the job going to be? Will Sasuke cooperate or will he be just as "psychotic" as Jiyou says? Please R&R (it helps)!


	4. Chapter 4

_R/N: _I'm sorry it took so long to post this! And the skool excuse is getting old so... the reason I didn't get around to this was because I was busy warding off insano monsters that were trying to suck out my soul. Wait... I said I _wouldn't _use a skool excuse.

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The next afternoon Akemi headed to Sasuke's house, dreading her next encounter with him. The walk there was nearly as bad as her first walk to the hospital, her feet threatening to carry her in the opposite direction.

She stood outside his door for a good five minutes, trying to decide if she wanted to enter the gloomy-looking house. Finally she raised her hand to knock softly.

Maybe a little too softly. No answer.

She knocked louder and almost fell backwards when the door was violently yanked open to Sasuke shouting, "For Kami's sake, I don't need anyone to check on–!"

He froze and arched an eyebrow suspiciously when he saw Akemi standing in front of him. It took him a minute to register who she was. "What do you want?" Sasuke demanded.

For a moment she just stared, flashing back to the last time she'd come face-to-face with such an angry-looking Sasuke – not a nice memory. If he'd had any more time to react, she probably would've had a coffee table flying in her direction right about now.

_Oh, Kami, you can't say nobody told him…? _"I…Well…Uhhh…"

Sasuke leaned awkwardly against the doorframe and folded his arms, waiting.

Akemi cleared her throat and avoided his gaze. "I'm supposed to be monitoring you…psychologically."

"A psychiatrist?" His eyes narrowed at the implication that he was insane. "I don't need you. So leave me the hell alone." He straightened, about to shut the door in her face, but ended up gripping it unsteadily.

She watched him quizzically. _What's up with him? He's a bit more…uncoordinated than usual._ It was only then that Akemi realized he was also slurring his words. Fearing the worst, she disregarded his command for her to leave and took a step closer, planting one foot on the threshold. If there was something wrong, she _would_ find out.

"Sasuke, are you–?" The smell of alcohol was unmistakable. "You're drunk, aren't you?"

The corner of his mouth turned up in an obscene smirk. "What if I am?" he challenged, leaning towards her.

Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she shoved the intoxicated Uchiha inside, following him and shutting the door behind the two of them. He stumbled towards the nearest chair while she flicked on a lamp, illuminating the dim room.

Looking around, Akemi could tell he hadn't bothered to clean lately…or for years, for that matter. A thin layer of dust covered some of the untouched furniture, probably left the way it was since his parents' death, but there wasn't much in the space to begin with, following the traditional Japanese style.

_Not a very cheerful place. Perfect for him._

Sasuke's idea of decorating sent a chill through her, as well. His frustration was evident in the various weapons peppering one of the walls. Kunai and shuriken radiated outward from a single throwing knife. You could hardly call it art. _More like a form of measurement; the farther the weapon from the central point, the more intoxicated you are, _she thought grimly, shaking her head.

But that wasn't the most disturbing thing to catch her eye. Half a dozen beer bottles sat on the low table, along with an empty _sake_ cup. _"Nobody drinks alone"…Except for Sasuke._

Her personal assessment of his living environment was cut short when another shuriken whizzed by her ear, narrowly missing her, and buried itself in the wall with the others. She turned sharply towards the dark figure lounging in the chair, nursing yet another beer, the shadows cast by the one light making him look even more threatening.

"Why are you still here? I told you to get out," Sasuke growled, the harsh words not having quite the same effect when they were muddled together.

Akemi glared at him, knowing she should probably fear him, but she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. Especially not when he was barely coherent. "I'm going to be here whether you like it or not, every afternoon, every other day of the week. And I'm definitely not going to leave you alone when you're like this." As an impulsive afterthought she added, "You really do need help."

Sasuke apparently found her insult funny. His laughter was low and hollow sounding. "Since you're not leaving, let me get you one of these." He got up from the armchair, waving his own bottle at her drunkenly, and with a push sent her backwards so she landed on the couch.

As she tried to keep herself composed, he found his way to the kitchen with some difficulty, occasionally using the wall for support. Or...more like stumbling into it a few times. Akemi listened tensely to the crashes and bangs coming from the other room, not daring to move. He was too unpredictable. And was currently swearing about not being able to find the beer.

Returning after a few minutes, Sasuke went to the couch and bent over her. Instinctively she cringed away from his invasion of her comfort zone. It suddenly seemed like there wasn't enough air in the room.

"No one needs to know about this," he whispered huskily and pressed a bottle into her hand.

She glanced down at it with loathing. "I think it's too late for that. ANBU probably already knows," Akemi remained indignant, recalling that the Black Ops were still supposed to be keeping an eye on Sasuke, coming and going randomly.

He grinned the same cold, uncaring grin and took another swig of alcohol, then turned to the wall that had become his new dartboard. "I can take care of them."

In a flash she grabbed his arm, stopping him before he could curl his fingers around the hilt of the nearest kunai. Sasuke glared at her menacingly, murder in his eyes.

Staying as calm as she possibly could, Akemi said, "I don't think that's a good idea, Sasuke."

"Why not?" he snarled impatiently.

"You're in no condition to–"

"_Kusokurae_," Sasuke swore, jerking out of her grasp, the sudden movement sending her slightly off-balance.

The minute he did so, however, his face contorted with pain and his hand went to the base of his neck. Overlooking the fact that he had just damned her to hell, Akemi reached out to him, hating to see him in agony. But he shrugged her off. "Get away from me."

Akemi watched him sympathetically as he disappeared down the dark hallway. _No wonder he's so messed up. All that pain..._

After a little while Akemi heard the shower running. She debated whether she should stay or leave, knowing the dreaded hangover would follow his drinking spree...If it hadn't already. But she didn't want him to _die_ of alcohol poisoning if she could help it.

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_A/N:_ To be continued…with our favorite irritable Uchiha, Akemi trying to clean up his act (or at least his house), and said Uchiha running in a towel..?

_R/N: _Bwahaha. I'm not much of a Sasuke fan, but c'mon... even I'M looking forward to _that! _Hot anime guys in towels... woo-hoo! I should start a fan club.


	5. Chapter 5

_R/N: _Woohoo! Next chap.! Another one of my favs… You'll see why. Hahaha. Yes you will.

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...Meanwhile, she could at least clean up while he was preoccupied. The mess was doing nothing for the ambience of the house, or Sasuke's health, obviously. Just looking at it was enough to throw Akemi into clean-freak mode.

She collected all the empty bottles and the _sake_ cup and meandered towards the kitchen in the direction she'd seen Sasuke go. What she saw there was enough to make her almost send everything crashing to the floor.

It was like the room had been raided. Random cabinets stood open. Sasuke's idea of doing dishes was apparently using them until he ran out of clean ones, then leaving them in the sink for later...much later. A mini mountain of chinaware had collected there. Chopsticks, take-out boxes, and empty cups of instant ramen were all over the counter. Even more empty bottles littered the table, along with an unfinished bowl of rice and what appeared to be vegetables, although she didn't want to get close enough to find out.

_All this happened in the two days he's been home?!_

Cautiously stepping into the culinary warzone, Akemi heard something crunch under her sandals. Glass and maybe the remains of a broken plate or two were smashed on the tiled floor. Either the result of anger or his previous search for beer, or both. She sighed and set what she was holding down on the table, leaving to find a broom, which took her a good fifteen minutes.

By the time she was finished, she had two trash bags full of garbage, all traces of alcohol gone. Akemi had actually been relieved to see that he had exhausted his store of beer and _sake_; it meant she wouldn't have to take it away from him later.

She threw the bags out the door and returned to the living room. Gritting her teeth, she pulled the scattering of weapons out of the wall one by one. _Gee, this is familiar. How many times have I pulled shuriken out of wood before? There has got to be…_(ugh!)_…an easier way…_(tug)_…to do this!_…(pull)…

After all of them were removed, the problem was where to put them. _Somewhere out of Sasuke's reach..._ Gripping a bouquet of kunai, she scanned the room. It was like babyproofing a house. Finally all pointy objects were stashed under the couch.

Akemi ran her hand over the scarred wall, wondering how Sasuke would react when he was sober enough to realize he'd vandalized his own house. Maybe he'd repair it later. _But some scars can never be healed..._

Bothered by her own sentimentality, she turned away to find something else to clean.

That was until she saw Sasuke standing in the doorway. Wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

She had kept herself so busy she hadn't even realized when the shower turned off. How long had she spent cleaning? Half an hour? More?

They stared silently at each other from across the room. Water droplets glistened in his ebony spiked hair (how it had stayed spiked was a mystery – really good hair gel?). Her eyes unconsciously followed as water dripped from his bangs and skimmed down his chest, over his abs, and on down...

_Damn! He's hot! Nonononono Akemi, stop it! He's _drunk_! But still...Those years away training did him some good._

"You're still here," Sasuke managed to slur after a moment. "Why? Jus' so you could clean my house?" 

It took a considerable amount of willpower for Akemi to keep her eyes on his face, not lower. "I told you before, I'm _not_ leaving you alone when you're..."

He wasn't paying attention to her. Already he had the unopened bottle of beer in his hand (the one meant for Akemi) and had seated himself in the same armchair.

_How could I have forgotten that one?_ Akemi scolded herself, slapping a palm to her forehead.

"Sasuke, I don't think you need another one."

He shrugged and downed a fourth of the beer as if it were water.

She stepped closer to him and put her hands on her hips, annunciating her words carefully so he could hopefully grasp their meaning. "Sasuke, you're drunk."

He glared up at her defiantly. "No, I'm not."

_How can I convince him to give it up? He's not going to. He's in denial...again._

An idea came to her. Forcing a playful smile, she asked, "Then can I have a sip?" 

Sasuke paused with the bottle halfway to his mouth. "Get your own," he told her distrustfully.

"But that's the last one in the house." She pouted slightly. _Man,_ _I'm stretching it. If Sasuke wasn't drunk he'd definitely be able to see through this._

Thankfully he didn't notice. With an annoyed sigh he handed it over. Akemi lifted the bottle as if to drink from it...then took off running.

_Hahaha! He can't run when he's drunk...Or in a towel, either._

Her victory was cut short when she heard Sasuke's footsteps behind her. He unleashed a string of curses as he chased her down the hall and upstairs, damning her to hell and beyond.

Turning a corner, Akemi attempted to lose him by hiding in...

A closet?

"_Kuso_!" she swore under her breath, frantically looking for another door as she heard Sasuke clumsily approaching.

_Let's see...What's behind _shoji_ number two?_

Luckily for her it was a bedroom, with a balcony.

_Good, an escape route._

**_BANG!_** "Owww! Dammit!" Beer sloshed out and dripped down her hand. She tried to keep her voice down as she cursed the dresser that had gotten in her way. The fact that she could barely see gave everything a creepy haunted house feeling. Actually, considering all that had happened there, Akemi wouldn't be surprised to encounter some wandering spirits. Not that she was superstitious or anything…All she needed now was for something to grab her from behind, she thought with a shudder.

Jogging – almost limping – to the balcony door, she felt for the handle. But bashing her leg against the bureau had slowed her flight. Sasuke entered the room just as Akemi threw open the door. She had only taken three steps out when strong arms snaked around her waist and she was roughly pulled back against her pursuer. Terrified, she realized she shouldn't have underestimated him, not even when he was intoxicated to the point of derangement.

"You shouldn't have done that. Hand it over."

She held the bottle as far away from him as possible. His hold only tightened as she squirmed to get free. "Let go, you drunken bastard!"

Sasuke growled dangerously.

_All this for a stupid bottle of beer?_ She looked at it hatefully, then flung it over the side of the balcony, hearing it shatter below.

He still wouldn't release her. In fact, her action understandably made him angrier. "You little–!"

Akemi jabbed her elbow into his stomach. Sasuke immediately let go and fell to his knees, retching.

It only took her a split second to decide she didn't want to stay, no matter how sick he was. She ran straight down the balcony, escaping into the night.

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_A/N:_ _Dumdumdummmm_… Think this is the end? (Course not, it can't end like this!)

_R/N: _No! No it can't! Review 'n' we'll get back to you! Or send you a cookie if we don't. : D I lied. I ate them all. Review ne way though!


	6. Chapter 6

_R/N: _Conclusion to the great towel scene! .-

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The problem was, Akemi couldn't exactly return home in the middle of the night smelling like an alcoholic. And she couldn't wander around the streets; for all its pride in the military, Konoha wasn't _that_ safe. There were still perverts, and creeps, and...well...drunks.

Akemi shivered in the cool night air. She had already walked around the block a few times and had even taken a stroll down the market street, but afterwards avoided it when she was mistaken for a cheap prostitute. Needless to say, the guy made a good punching bag, especially when Akemi had so much pent-up frustration to release.

And now she was back outside Sasuke's house. She had wondered if the Black Ops cared enough to drag him away yet. If they even knew about his little problem. She sighed. There was only one way to find out. She couldn't believe she was re-entering that house of horrors.

The door was open. Sasuke wasn't allowed to lock it, anyway. He wasn't in the living room, or the bathroom, or the kitchen. Akemi momentarily panicked that he might've gone out to get more _sake_. _If he did, I at least hope he wore something more than a towel..._

Akemi somehow found her way up the stairs in the dark, and only had to open three more doors (this time skipping the closet) to find him.

He was sprawled face down on his bed, no doubt passed out. Moonlight sliced through the windows, highlighting his pale skin, from broad, well-muscled shoulders to… _Oh, Kami help_ _me._ The towel had evidently gotten lost somewhere between the balcony and the bedroom; Akemi got a nice view of his _oshiri_ from where she stood in the doorway. It was a rare sight any fangirl would kill for. _Wait 'til I tell Jiyou._ She felt herself blushing and turned away to compose herself. She couldn't just leave him there.

But for now...

Akemi prepared herself for hangover duty. _Hmph. I should call Sakura now. She's a medic-nin; she can take care of this. Give her the dirty job. I wonder how she'll like Sasuke then._

Finding the one bucket he owned was fairly easy. She just had to rinse the cobwebs out of it, which proved just how much it got used. She shook her head and went to fill a bowl with

water, then turned every closet inside-out until she located a washcloth.

Lugging everything back upstairs, Akemi once again felt the heat rising to her face as she stepped into Sasuke's room. It took all her courage for her to pull a blanket over him and proceed to turn him onto his side. Not an easy task when he was unconscious and therefore not much help.

He groaned but didn't wake up.

Akemi pulled his armchair next to the bed and wiped his forehead with the damp cloth. _Well, he's considerably nicer when he's asleep._

"Akemi...?" His eyes flickered open, still unfocused.

"Hey, Sasuke."

She soon found out why it wasn't such a good idea to pull the chair so close to his bed. Before she could react, he threw up into her lap. And became insensible again. Yep, the bucket did a lot of good.

Akemi clamped a hand over her mouth, afraid she would be sick herself. _There goes my cute skirt. Damn him!_

There was no point in keeping it. After she carefully removed the offending garment, she threw it in the garbage. She needed something else to wear, though, unless she wanted to walk around in her underwear. _Or we could just turn this house into a nudist colony..._

She glanced over at his dresser. Letting her use some of his clothes was the least he could do. Pawing through his drawers, she quickly deduced that his pants wouldn't fit her, nor would his boxers. Akemi looked longingly at the blue and black striped pair she had found, but shoved them back in before she got any ideas to steal them...

It looked like a shirt would have to do. She refused to wear one with the Uchiha symbol on the back. It could send the wrong message, and if she was caught in it, she might as well stick a sign that said "FANGIRL!" on her head. Not to mention there was that whole thing where it could be considered disrespectful to his clan.

In the end Akemi tied her sash around one of his plain black t-shirts. It wasn't the most attractive thing, but it was definitely better than her pink flowered panties alone.

Though Sasuke didn't need the bucket (or Akemi's lap) for the rest of the night, she kept a constant watch on him. The thought of trying to take advantage of his unconscious state and get into his mind wasn't even an option. Hours dragged on forever as he tossed and turned restlessly, tormented by things Akemi couldn't see. So she sat, and waited, trying to bring down his fever, talking to him mostly to keep herself awake.

By three a.m. she felt like ten-pound weights were attached to her eyelids. Sometime past 4:00 she fell asleep.

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_A/N:_ What can I say? Can't pass up a chance to catch Sasuke in the nude. (_Oshiri _supposedly means "butt," in case it wasn't obvious.) Thanks for those reviews, guys! You know feedback fuels stories!

_R/N: _A less 'romantic' side of Sasuke. Not like he's romantic in the first place… I luvs it! XD


	7. Chapter 7

_R/N: _Another chapter! I got around to updating yay! I don't have anything to say 'bout this chap... so lets cut the blab!

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Akemi woke up slumped over in the chair, her head resting on Sasuke's mattress. The distant sound of pounding reached her ears as she groggily tried to connect where it was coming from. _The front door!_ She jerked her head up in alarm, until she felt a sharp tug holding her back. During the course of the night Sasuke's hand had fisted in her long hair. _Groan._ Any other time she might've thought it was cute, but not when it was only making her headache worse, combined with the continuous banging. Whoever it was seemed about to break down the door.

With some difficulty she pried his fingers off, ignoring his sleepy mumbling as she stumbled around piles of clothes, scrolls, and other hazardous objects that had seemingly come out of hiding since the night before. Still in her fatigued daze, she practically tripped down the stairs. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she opened the door to see someone very unexpected.

Sakura.

The kunoichi's green eyes widened at the sight of _Akemi _opening _Sasuke's_ door. But she covered her shock with a carefree greeting. "Oh, hey, Akemi! I didn't know you would be here. I hope I'm not interrupting anything..."

Akemi saw Sakura eyeing her closely. And that's when she remembered what she was wearing. _Talk about the wrong impression._ She laughed nervously, running a hand through her disheveled hair. "Ahaha! No, of course not! Sasuke was a bit...sick last night, so I stayed to take care of him." _Damn! Great excuse – that's original!_ She mentally punched herself.

Sakura plastered a smile to her face. "Oh, right. You could've called me. I would've been glad to help–"

"No, no! It was bad, I mean really. Just a big mess." _Hmph. Maybe I should've called you. Then I wouldn't be talking to you now, digging myself a deeper hole! And hopefully Sasuke would've finally scared you away!_

"Okay then. I was just going to drop these off for Sasuke. I thought he could use them, seeing as he probably hasn't done much shopping." She shifted the large brown bag on her hip. "I'm assuming he's not awake yet?"

_All that insistent pounding for groceries?_ "That's really nice Sakura. But isn't it a little early?"

Sakura looked dumbfounded for a minute before answering, "Well, it _is_ 1:00 in the afternoon."

This time it was Akemi's turn to look shocked. "What?! Oh my gosh, I slept way too late!...I'll take those." She reached out to take the groceries from Sakura. "I'll be sure to tell him you brought them. See ya later!"

"Wait, Akemi…"

Pausing at the door, she half turned towards Sakura, her eyebrows raised questioningly.

"We're all worried about him," her voice dropped and she played with a strand of pink hair. "Is he any better? You know, with the medication?"

_Medication. Hmph. The only "medication" he's been taking is _sake_, and that's been doing him a lot of good._

Akemi chewed her lower lip, choosing her words carefully. "I…" She sighed, for once looking with pity into her rival's concerned green gaze. As she stood there anxiously, Sakura seemed much younger than all her skill as a medic-nin would allow people to believe. In a way the two kunoichi were alike, though Akemi hated to admit it. "It's hard to say. Maybe he just needs time."

"Maybe. Thanks, Akemi." The door slid shut, leaving Sakura looking at it for a moment before walking away, wondering if all the time in the world would ever cure her former teammate.

Inside, Akemi rummaged through the bag's contents. _Oh, good. She got tea... _

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Sasuke felt as if he'd been beaten repeatedly over the head with a rock. He moaned as he sat up, his vision blurring slightly. Picking up his alarm clock… _1:00? Well there goes half the day. Hn. I was better off asleep._ He let his head drop into his hands while he tried to recall why he felt so crappy. It was always a challenge to separate reality from the terrible visions he had.

The one scary thing he did know was that he was completely naked in his bed, the covers rumpled around him. Still slightly disoriented when **she** came in, the sight of her dressed in his shirt didn't help matters. At the moment it was far from a turn-on.

"Oh, you're up," Akemi said, sounding somewhat surprised.

The cranky Uchiha disregarded her greeting. _Doesn't she ever leave? She has her own house, right?_ He _would_ take care of her by shoving her out the door, except for the small problem that he couldn't get out of bed in the nude, in front of her. A horrifying thought occurred to him that she might've already seen him in his birthday suit. He cringed inwardly at the idea.

Outwardly he glared at her from where he sat. "What happened last night?"

She arched an eyebrow and took a sip from the mug she was holding before replying, "You really don't remember? I'm surprised. It was pretty memorable for me." She looked out into space for a moment. "Nope, can't forget _that_..."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, trying to remain as calm as possible. _Where's the _sake_ when you need it?_ He didn't know what kind of a game she was playing...That is, if it was just a game. Which he sincerely hoped.

"Okay. The better question is: What did I do last night?"

"Not me, so don't worry," Akemi retorted wryly.

He didn't find this the least bit funny and showed it, sneering contemptuously. There were about a million things he wanted to say to her, all along the lines of "Why would I ever want _you_?" With some obscenities thrown in, of course.

"Here, drink this. You'll feel better." She held out a second cup, this one full of dark liquid.

"I feel fine. Why should I trust you at all?" he spat back.

"I really don't think you're 'fine'. Please just take it."

_What is she now, a medic-nin? She's worse than Sakura. I have to find a way to get her out! If only I wasn't naked...!_

He got the mug shoved in his face, but he still wouldn't drink it. Briefly he considered throwing it at her, smirking evilly at the thought of her dripping with the oil black substance.

"Sasuke..." Add some impatient foot-tapping to her reprimanding tone, and Akemi would make the perfect angry mother.

"You're treating me like a child that's being forced to take his medicine." His eyes narrowed. He was _not_ helpless, had never been helpless. Yet she continued act like he was a project, something that needed to be fixed.

Akemi rolled her eyes. "Maybe that's because you're acting like one!" The mug was pushed into his hands. "You had a hangover last night, if you're that oblivious. I'm only wearing your shirt because you ruined my skirt." She pointed at the stuff in the cup. "That'll help cure anything. What have you been doing? Drinking for two days straight?"

"That's none of your business." He glared darkly at his reflection in the bottomless mug. He could either give in and trust that it would undo the knots in his stomach, or suffer for the rest of the day while keeping his pride intact. Still, the one thing he did know was that he wouldn't get very far feeling as sick as he did.

_So this is how people become alcoholics. I was perfectly fine until the after effects kicked in. _Sasuke scowled as he forced down a wave of nausea.

She was still watching him, her arms folded.

He took a gulp of the harsh liquid and couldn't help gagging. It looked like oil but tasted worse, reminding him of charcoal, or tar, or burnt _natto_. "What the hell is this?!"

"You wouldn't want to know. It called for honey to sweeten it, but you don't have any," Akemi explained.

"Like it would've helped anyway," Sasuke muttered angrily. Finally he willed himself to down it in one gulp, feeling the thick fluid slowly making its way down his throat. He couldn't believe it was actually supposed to make you feel better instead of sicker.

Akemi laughed at the faces he made as he tried to get the gritty texture out of his mouth.

"You shouldn't be laughing," he snapped, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth.

She attempted to cover her snickering behind her hand. "Sorry, but–"

"That's it! Get out, NOW!" Unable to restrain himself, he hurled the empty mug at her. She ducked and it flew towards the closed _fusuma_, hitting the doorframe and shattering. Sasuke didn't feel the least bit remorseful when he saw her wide-eyed, hurt expression as she slipped out. He seemed to have that effect on a lot of people. A moment later he heard the front door slam.

He rubbed his forehead tiredly. Taking in his surroundings for the first time since he'd woken up, he realized the extent of Akemi's efforts to make him more comfortable. And wondered why she'd gone through the trouble. She hadn't even bothered to clean up the "supplies" before she left. His frown deepened.

Mental exhaustion and the lingering symptoms of his hangover got the best of him. Sasuke pulled the covers over his head and tried to fall asleep again, banishing all thoughts from his mind. This time no nightmares haunted him, but he didn't understand why, for some reason, he felt less at peace than before. He blamed it on the medicinal tar he'd been forced to drink.

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_A/N:_ So Sasuke's still being…difficult, and Akemi seems to be getting nowhere…_Sigh._ What's a poor writer to do? This will get resolved, darn it! Eventually. Tell me if Sasuke ever starts getting OOC; I've tried to keep him as real as possible…well, for someone who's depressed and almost an alcoholic.


	8. Chapter 8

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"Shizune-san, is Tsunade-sama really busy right now? I need to speak with her," Akemi asked, catching Tsunade's frazzled assistant as she came out of the Hokage's office. Seeing Tsunade's pet pig was with her, she tried not to show her dislike of the squealing creature, but backed up a little nonetheless.

"I wouldn't go in there, Akemi-san. She's been a bit more overwhelmed than usual. Right now she's in with someone..." she glanced at the closed door.

"Really? Who?" Akemi wondered skeptically, half to herself. Not to be nosy, but who could be meeting with the Hokage this early in the morning?

Shizune was silent for a moment. "Usually I'm not supposed to say..." But Akemi would see whoever it was coming out, anyway. "Your–"

The door opened, interrupting the two.

"_Okaasan_?" Akemi was clearly surprised, and almost horrified, when it was her mother who stepped out of the office.

"Akemi, what are you doing here? Where's Jiyou?" She glanced over her daughter's shoulder as if expecting both of them to rush towards her with some sort of emergency, like "the washing machine exploded (again)" or "the toilet backed up."

Akemi rolled her eyes at her mother's paranoia. "Probably watching anime and eating _mochi_. I was going to talk to Tsunade-sama about my assignment..."

"Oh, about that...I'm sorry, Akemi..." Her gaze strayed to the clock on the wall and she realized with alarm what time it was. "I have to get back to work. Tsunade-sama will explain. I'll see you when I get home."

Thankfully her mother didn't try to kiss her goodbye before she hurried out, ready to tackle more secretarial "missions" – paperwork, updates, and filing.

_No, she won't see me until later. Did she forget that today's when I look after Sasuke?_ Akemi glanced at Shizune for some sort of explanation, but she just shook her head and shrugged. She watched as the assistant left as well with Tonton in tow, no doubt going to get more _sake_ for Tsunade's headache.

Cautiously Akemi knocked on the heavy door, thinking at the same time that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to confront the Hokage when she was obviously not in the best of moods. But she had to get this done today. Not waiting for the invitation that might never come, Akemi poked her head in and decided it was safe to enter, seeing as the Hokage hadn't exploded due to the stress of, well, being Hokage.

"Yes?" Tsunade greeted unenthusiastically without glancing at Akemi. By now she was used to people barging into her office.

"It's me, Tsunade-sama. It's about the assignment I was given..."

At that Tsunade looked up from the stack of papers on her desk. "Aha. You know, you really worried your mother when you didn't come home that night."

Akemi flinched as if she'd been struck. Did everyone have to know about that? "I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama. I did explain to her."

"She wants me to pass the assignment on to someone else."

"What? That's really not necessary. It's not like it'll happen again," she stammered, trying not to say nasty things about her mother out loud.

The Hokage smirked smugly. "So this meeting isn't about you wanting to quit?"

"No! I mean...It's just...I can't help thinking that maybe Sasuke needs more medical help than psychological help."

Tsunade sifted through the mound before her until she found a file with the information she was looking for. "Well he's in better physical condition than we expected. I'm surprised he was healed enough to be released early. When he was brought in he had four fractured ribs, a broken wrist, a dislocated shoulder, a sprained ankle, stab wounds, other minor cuts, internal bleeding…all on top of being in a coma. He just needs to refrain from strenuous activity for now. He can take his medication on his own..."

"Hmph." Akemi put her hands on her hips. If she recalled correctly, she hadn't seen Sasuke take any type of medication whatsoever. She'd found the small container of pills buried among the debris in his kitchen.

Studying the girl standing in front of her looking completely unconvinced, Tsunade rested her chin on her hands thoughtfully. "I know he hasn't been very...cooperative. ANBU already informed me of that. If it continues to be a problem I might send a nurse to check in on him, too."

Everything screeched to a halt. Akemi could only hear one name pounding in her head...

Sakura...Sakura...Sakura...

She had to grind her teeth together to keep herself from screaming, "NOT SAKURA!"

When her momentary panic attack subsided, she couldn't really think of anything to say. "Well...I guess...if it becomes necessary...But...why–?"

"Why am I relying so much on you?" Tsunade cut in, anticipating her question. She sighed. "I haven't been completely honest with you. As you know Sasuke's been through a lot of mental torment, but that's not the only reason. Now that Orochimaru's disappeared again...we need answers. Either you find a "friendly" way to get Sasuke to open up, or the only other option is the ANBU interrogation force."

Akemi's eyes widened. "You mean the _torture_ and interrogation force?"

"True. But hopefully that wouldn't apply to Sasuke."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Her mind was still spinning with the shock. Too much was riding on her shoulders. She tried to calm herself down, using psychological coping techniques on herself before she had an anxiety attack.

The Hokage remained perfectly calm. "I was going to. I wanted to start you off with no pressure, to see if you could handle it. But since it came up now..." She shrugged.

Akemi said nothing. After a short pause, Tsunade asked, "So, are you still up to it?"

What choice did she have? She'd feel terrible if she resigned Sasuke to that fate. That is, if Tsunade couldn't find another psychiatrist. She doubted she would; people didn't exactly jump at the chance to help someone who had chosen the "dark side."

"Yeah. I'll try." She couldn't give up on him just yet.

Tsunade nodded and stopped Akemi as she turned to go. "One more question. Why didn't you take advantage of Sasuke's...condition the other night?"

For a moment Akemi wondered if she'd heard correctly. _'Take advantage of'? She makes me sound like a rapist. What exactly did Sakura say...?_ "What?" It seemed the Hokage liked continuously disorienting her.

"A shinobi like yourself takes advantage of their opponent's vulnerability to gain information or insight, right? You could've used that tactic then." If she knew Akemi had taken her question the wrong way, she didn't show it.

"Oh." Relief flooded over Akemi. So she wasn't seen as the town whore after all. Good to know. "Well, first of all I don't really like to think of Sasuke – or any of my patients – as "opponents." And, I mean no disrespect Tsunade-sama, but a medic-nin like yourself should also know that taking advantage like that could do more harm than good, to you and whoever gets hit by the jutsu."

Tsunade smiled. "Hm. You've come a long way since you were a Genin."

Akemi returned the grin, at the same time remembering how little faith people had once had in her squad. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

As she reached for the door handle, Tsunade added, "I'll just tell your mother I couldn't find a replacement..."

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_A/N:_ Ok, still trying to finish the next few chapters...balancing school and writing, ugh! By the way, thanks for the reviews guys! Feedback is always muchly appreciated! (Especially in times of dreaded writer's block!)


	9. Chapter 9

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_**...Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the  
FLOORRRR!!!!  
**_

Akemi cringed at the raucous that seemed to force its way through every crevice and explode out of every screen of Sasuke's home. It was all she could do to keep herself from running away, _far _away, preferably to a place that had earplugs, a good book, and no deafening technology.

**_ONE  
Nothing wrong with me  
TWO  
Nothing wrong with me  
THREE  
Nothing wrong with me  
FOUR  
Nothing wrong with me_  
**

_Think he's trying to make a point? _The vibrations from the pounding music jolted through her feet and up her body as she got closer. She raised her hand to knock, then let it drop to her side, realizing the uselessness of such an action. Sasuke wouldn't be able to hear her; he could probably barely hear himself think. Which, on second thought, was probably the point. So she stepped inside, getting an odd breaking and entering feeling...without the breaking part, of course.

It took her a minute, but Akemi finally found the demonic stereo that looked about to self-destruct. No Sasuke in sight, she deemed it safe to flip the "off" switch, relief soothing her ears in the form of abrupt silence.

No sooner had she done this than she heard a low voice behind her, "I was listening to that."

Akemi froze like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Would it always be his habit to sneak up on her, stealthily disengaging from the shadows as if he was one himself? She would have to learn to be more attuned to him.

"You and the rest of the village for at least a mile around!" she retorted, turning to face him.

"Hn." Keeping his stare locked on her challengingly, he reached past her to turn the music back on.

_**ONE **_

_**Something's got to give**_

_**TWO **_

_**Something's got to give...**_

Akemi jumped, her hair practically standing on end, as the loud bass rocked the house again. Gritting her teeth she lowered the volume from 30 to a "reasonable" 15, hoping Sasuke would compromise.

He just looked at her for a moment, turned it up to 18, and walked back through the hall, preventing her from starting an argument about how he could lose his hearing by the age of 25 and how he couldn't possibly justify it as music sharing.

When she followed the moody ninja, she found him in the kitchen rummaging among the contents of his fridge. A bolt of dread shot through her, remembering the last time she'd heard that same clanking...and some swearing...

At least there wasn't broken glass this time.

But instead of the bottle(s) she expected to see, Sasuke pulled out a box of leftover Chinese, sniffed at it warily, and decided it was a safe dinner option. Akemi was just glad to note that she hadn't become Sasuke's drinking buddy.

"I take it you're staying for dinner, seeing as you haven't left yet."

She was snapped out of her thoughts by his less-than-ecstatic statement. She hadn't realized now was the time he usually ate. Then again, the only other time she'd been at his house he hadn't consumed any type of food, only about a dozen alcoholic beverages. So Akemi had the uncomfortable choice of accepting his "offer" and staying or accomplishing nothing (yet again) and leaving.

In the end the decision was easy. _Hey,_ he_ brought up me staying...Maybe we're finally getting somewhere._

"So...you don't cook, Sasuke? Or can't you?" she asked curiously, teasing.

Though his back was turned to her and she couldn't read his expression, the tight control in his voice told her he took her question as an insult, putting him on the same level as those amateurs like Naruto who weren't intelligent enough to figure out the mysteries of the kitchen.

"I can cook. But what's the point when it's normally just me here?" The resentment in his rhetorical question was obvious; she wasn't welcome to invade his solitude. Even though it took more than his cold hostility to scare her away, she still felt slightly hurt, especially since the wounds from their past encounters hadn't completely healed.

As Akemi expected, Sasuke made no effort to "impress" her with any of his supposed cooking skills, or conversational skills either, for that matter. Dinner consisted of rice and the reheated Chinese. Akemi picked at her food while Sasuke had no trouble eating his, ignoring her in the process. Well, except for the few glances he shot across the table at her. She pretended not to notice, at the same time wondering what could be behind the expression he carefully kept neutral.

_What happened to us, Sasuke? _Their eyes met briefly, both looking away almost instantaneously. There was no doubt about it – Sasuke had changed.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, she said with a smile, "Next time I'll make something so you won't have to eat leftovers."

He remained indifferent. "Whatever. I usually go out to eat anyway."

"Just because you're afraid of doing dishes? Or is it the stove that frightens you? Because I would think with your fire jutsus you'd be used to –"

"Akemi," he cut her off sharply, brows knitting in frustration, "you don't have to keep talking. It's annoying. I'm used to silence. I _like _silence."

She sighed. He'd rather let loneliness consume him again. _Well then let him drown in it! What did I ever see in him? Pain, hatred, his inferiority complex? _

_You wanted to help him, to "fix" him. Admit it, you still do._

_No. I'm only doing this for Tsunade-sama. For the village._

_Yeah, to keep your good reputation as an "unusually young" psychiatrist. _And_ to get him back._

_Ha. That'll never happen. I know that now. So shut up!_

Akemi shook her head to clear out the arguing voices. _Funny, I'm a mind doctor and I think _I'm_ going insane._ Glancing at Sasuke again, who was staring at his rice as if it could reveal a secret message any minute, she cleared her throat. It wasn't the best dinner conversation to have, but she had to break the uncomfortably heavy silence somehow.

"Sasuke, what happened when you...I mean, what was it like, defeating your brother? Was it worth it?"

The intensity in his eyes when he looked at her stung her own. Their black depths drew her in so she couldn't look away, making her wonder if she should've asked in the first place. It seemed like hours before he answered, and even then it was cryptic, revealing nothing. "You really want to know? You could just see for yourself."

Her amber eyes widened in surprise. He was willingly opening his mind to her? It was just that easy? "Are you sure?"

"Hn. No, I don't like people prying into my mind. But that's your job, right?"

Akemi began to formulate an angry retort that she didn't "pry into" minds, but thought better of it and kept her mouth shut. She couldn't resist glaring, though. Besides, the hostile cooperative Uchiha was the one who practically invited her into his head in the first place. "Alright then. Just don't abuse me like last time. You gave me a migraine."

He arched an eyebrow. She took that as a warning – _this is your last chance, so do it now while you can._

It was as effortless as last time; the barrier he had skillfully constructed was down for the time being. Akemi found herself in the same fire-streaked surroundings, a dull throbbing pulsing through the atmosphere. This time, though, there was no Sasuke.

The memories came instantly with no work on her part. Everything reminded her of a movie on fast-forward; images were blurred and often distorted. But the emotions and sensations that assaulted her were vivid. Sasuke hadn't warned her about this. Her whole body trembled as the fierce vision closed in. A flash of black, the glint of steel. A rage of lightening, flames, clashing, burning. Smoke. Dust. Red. The color of torment, of blood. Kami, the blood. Staining the ground, going seemingly unnoticed by the battling shinobi. A sneer. Taunting. Mind games. Horrific scenes of the past. Worthlessness. Hatred. Determination. Pain, not just physical but mental. Tearing, piercing, torturing. The final blow. Chakra in its deadliest forms. The scratched headband. Then nothing...

Silence. No relief, no joy of victory.

Emptiness.

Akemi came back to herself, drained of any willpower, any strength, to move from her seat. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she studied the last Uchiha from across the table. Sasuke put his head in his hands, and said nothing.

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_A/N:_ Again, more credit is due. "Bodies" lyrics are by Drowning Pool. Ahh, angry music. : )

HAPPY NEW YEAR! (well, not for Sasuke apparently...)


	10. Chapter 10

_R/N: _The long awaited chapter is finally up! Just a recap from last chapter: Akemi discovers helping Sasuke is going to be a lot harder than she thought. He's not the most _willing _of patients to begin with...

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"Hey Naruto! I thought I'd find you here."

The sudden greeting practically made the ramen-lover, his face stuffed with food, fall off his stool at the Ichiraku Ramen Shop. Akemi giggled as he turned towards her, slurping up the stray noodles hanging out of his mouth. Truthfully, she couldn't believe she had willingly sought him out at all.

Naruto grinned. "Akemi-chan! You gonna have a bowl of ramen with me?" He waved his chopsticks at his own nearly empty bowl, then glanced at it in dismay when he finally realized it was nearly empty.

"Haha. Are you going to pay for it?"

"Ummm..." He looked at his stack of eight or more bowls and tried to mentally calculate how much yen it all added up to. "Actually..." She could tell he was attempting to find a way to get out of spending money on ramen he wouldn't be the one eating. "This is my last one. I think I'm out of yen." He shook his sad, limp frog wallet as proof.

Akemi shook her head, amused. "I was just kidding. I really came because...um…I wanted to talk to you."

For the second time that day she surprised him. "Me? I mean, sure!" Puzzlement clouded his sky-colored eyes. "Whaddya wanna talk about?"

A small frown tugged at the corner of the kunoichi's lips as she pondered a good excuse. It didn't go unnoticed by Naruto, though. "What's wrong? Is it Sasuke? I haven't seen him for a few days...He still won't talk to anyone." For once the ninja didn't attack the rest of his ramen; he just sat there contemplating it, thoughts of his ill-tempered friend making him lose his appetite.

Akemi sighed. "Yeah. He's not a big talker." She took a seat on the stool next to Naruto.

"Well…I thought that's why they sent you in."

She gave a short, sarcastic laugh. "It's not so easy getting him to open his mind, either. Except yesterday…"

This caught Naruto's interest and he tore his attention away from the ramen. "Whaddya mean? Did you find anything out?" When the psychoanalyst wouldn't answer he gave her a little shake. "C'mon, Akemi-chan, I'm his friend, too." He went silent, and she knew he was probably mentally adding "or was" onto that last statement.

_Why did I come to him anyway? It seems like everyone's tried something and nothing's worked. What can he do that he hasn't tried before?_

Akemi became preoccupied with studying her hands. "I found out more than I needed to know. Sasuke's in bad shape, Naruto. I don't know how to help him."

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Sasuke absently swished the pale liquid around in his glass, ignoring (or trying to ignore) the mindless noise around him. A bottle flew over his head to smash against the wall. So it wasn't the bar with the best reputation, but all he wanted was a place where he could drown himself in _sake_ and not be disturbed...much.

He thought back to the day before, when Akemi had left after dinner. She'd cautiously asked him if he was ok, as if the more she got into his head, the more she sensed some dangerous madness about to break loose in him. Why had he revealed those details to her in the first place? Was it bitterness, a cruel attempt to fend her off, or was he really insane? Not that he cared. But sometimes it seemed like the darker side of him was taking over. What had he expected? It was in his blood.

Sasuke grimaced at the thought, and at the fog that was filling his mind with each shot he unconsciously downed. Alcohol was the only thing that helped blur the line between who he'd been and who he was becoming.

"Sasuke! What are you doing here?"

The Uchiha glowered at Sakura as she took a seat on the barstool next to him. "I should ask you the same thing," he countered. _So_ _much for_ _not being bothered._

She frowned slightly, her bright personality dimming to match the barroom's low lighting. "I saw you come in here. And that was over an hour ago, Sasuke." Shooting a look at the bartender, she hissed to her companion, "You shouldn't even be here – you're underage!"

Catching the daggers that Sakura was glaring, the bartender paused before he was about to refill Sasuke's glass and slunk away to some other customer. He worried he might pay for it later, though; giving the psychotic ninja what he wanted was better than getting eaten by a giant snake...or something like that.

Sasuke was resourceful, so he didn't suffer from the loss of the server. "How many of those have you had?" Sakura asked him as he stealthily grabbed a drink away from the man beside him, finished it, and set the glass back down. Fortunately, the man was so far gone he didn't remember if he'd already drunk it or not. He simply motioned to the bartender for another.

Sasuke smirked, dark eyes shifting to Sakura, looking her up and down. She shivered under his cold, evaluating gaze. Finally, "Let's count...One too many Sakura's, not enough _sake_." He was about to see if the same trick would work twice when a bolt of orange popped up between him and Sakura, greeting him with a loud, "Hiya Sasuke!"

"You too? I did _not_ want another team reunion!" _And you'd think throwing a vase at his head would get the message across, _he thought sullenly, scowling as Naruto leaned against the counter.

The other ninja didn't notice; he was reading the labels on the bottles behind the bar. "Ya you did. That's what you get for coming back to Konoha." Sakura followed his gaze and punched him in the arm, discouraging him from getting any ideas about joining Sasuke on his trip down intoxication lane.

He winced, rubbing his arm. He could already feel it bruising. "Oww! Hey, Sakura, watch that Amazon-woman strength of yours!"

"Sorry, Naruto. I forgot...And don't call me an Amazon woman!" She shook her fist at him menacingly.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in annoyance at their bickering, but he didn't drop the subject Naruto had started. "I didn't come back on my own! You dragged me here!"

"Well what was I supposed to do? Let Snake Man take over your body?"

"That's none of your business!"

"Yeah it is Sasuke. Friends don't let friends get brainwashed!"

"Can you _not_ fight about this here?" Sakura broke in, apparently the only one of the three who noticed all the eyes turned on them.

"I'm not fighting, I'm just trying to talk some sense into this _kusotare_!"

"AAARGHHH!" Sasuke yelled, launching a fist at the insolent blonde.

Naruto dodged it easily before pinning Sasuke to the bar, his forearm pressing against his throat. "Make up your mind, Sasuke! Whose side are you on?"

The Uchiha's only response was to knee him in the groin, causing him to double over. A low blow, but no one ever said they had to play fair. His eyes changed from bloodshot to Sharingan red in anticipation for another attack.

Still grimacing as he straightened up, Naruto mocked, "Heheh. Can those eyes fix your double vision, Sasuke?"

"Enough so I can kick your ass, loser," Sasuke snarled contemptuously.

Both flew at each other at the same time, but Sasuke was faster by a second. He blocked the punch Naruto swung at him and delivered a swift kick, sending him reeling backwards. A moment later, a fist caught him in the forehead as he tried to duck. He could feel blood gathering at the wound, but there was no pain. Adrenaline carried him, erasing every thought and memory. There was only the instinct to inflict pain on this person who wasn't a friend, who had never been a friend. His knuckles connected with soft flesh. Naruto grunted, but came back at him with a fury of punches and kicks, landing a surprising amount of blows. The fight became a blur, the two almost evenly matched in speed and strength.

Sasuke's rage and frustration exploded. The loser had certainly improved in the last three years. Of course, his own impaired state didn't tip the odds in his favor, either. His vision was starting to waver, the red drips coming from the cut on his forehead not helping the least bit. Naruto received a stinging hit on the side of his head, followed by a rapid jab to his abdomen, knocking the wind out of him. Taking advantage of his momentary weakness, Sasuke used all his weight to slam the fox boy into a nearby table. There was a loud crash accompanied by the sound of glass breaking. He suddenly felt a cold metal blade press against his neck. The two had kunai held to each other's throats, locked in a stalemate unless one of them moved. Blue eyes held his fiery glare. Sasuke's scowl deepened, his weapon almost biting into his opponent's skin and the vital artery that pulsed beneath. Naruto didn't flinch.

As pure hatred clouded Sasuke's mind, a searing blow to the back of his head disoriented him. The last thing he saw was Sakura standing over him, her fist still clenched...and then the world went black.

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_A/N:_ Ok, so this story might not be updated as often. College is once again going to consume my life (and a lot of my creative thinking powers). Be patient, it'll be finished…it just might take longer.


	11. Chapter 11

_R/N: _Finally! The update! Muahahah... cough... okay here it is after nearly a month or so, enjoy!

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"Sasuke…_(poke)_…Hey! Sasuke!..._(poke, poke)_...Get up!"

Akemi was repeatedly prodding the Uchiha, who had his head buried in a couch pillow and was trying not to flinch away from her sharp nails. _Maybe if I don't move she'll give up and leave._ But luck, it seemed, was not on his side lately. Her voice continued to nag him, her finger continued to jab at him.

Meanwhile, she was thinking how un-Sasuke-like this "welcome" was. True, he had told her that if she insisted on "checking up on him," she could let herself in; it was pointless for him to open an unlocked door, especially for someone he had no desire to see. Previously she had been met with drunken resentment, indifference, but never…laziness? Any minute now he _had_ to snap. She was sure she was annoying the hell out of him.

Still, all she got for an answer was unintelligible mumbling. An arm swung out at her halfheartedly to push her away. She sighed, ceasing her torment.

"You'll make yourself sick staying in here all day."

Finally a retort she could understand, "It's not the house that makes me sick."

Akemi pointedly ignored his indirect insult. "You're right. It's the _sake_. Now get up."

More grumbling came from the plushy barrier of the pillow.

"Don't make me do this…" With that, Akemi grabbed Sasuke's shirt, rolling him off the couch and onto the floor. Before he knew what had hit him, he had landed with a loud **_THUMP_** on his back, banging his head on the hard wooden floorboards.

A very pissed Uchiha glared up at the kunoichi. And she was enjoying her view looking down at him. His expression didn't seem so menacing when one of his eyes was almost as blackened as Gaara's and he had a large white patch covering part of his forehead. No wonder he'd been hiding his face in the pillow. She snickered.

"Don't tell me you were stupid enough to insult Sakura."

Sasuke slowly got to his feet, ignoring the hand she held out to him. He winced as blood rushed to his head and made the throbbing worse. He now had a large bump to add to his collection of head wounds. "No. But next time I see her I'm going to thank her for leaving me like this."

Akemi could only imagine what kind of "thank you" he had in mind. _So Sakura chose not to take pity on him, huh?_ "No doubt you deserved it," she muttered. Continuing more loudly, "But I have a deal for you."

He waited.

"I'll fix your face…if you get out of this depressing house." She gestured towards the world outside his dirty window.

"Hn. Let me guess, you'll have to be my chaperone?"

"Oh, come on. You used to like taking walks."

"I don't remember _liking_ anything," he responded arrogantly.

Akemi was growing impatient, he could tell. She had assumed her stubborn posture, hands on her hips, one eyebrow arched. "Do we have a deal, or not?"

Sasuke considered for a minute. Why did he always feel like he was forced to give in to her? It was definitely not because he felt intimidated by her. Some of the world's most powerful shinobi had fallen to him; Akemi was no threat. But pushing her buttons certainly had its limits.

"Fine," he replied, as if it didn't bother him that he'd be spending an hour or two with someone he didn't want to be with, in a village he didn't want to be in.

A moment later he was seated on the couch, submitting himself to her ministrations. She tipped his face towards the light, her fingers brushing gently against his cheek, and studied him for longer than he found comfortable, or necessary. He suppressed the urge to pull away. Finally her hand moved to cover his eye, cool, soothing chakra flowing into the bruised skin. The dark blue-black changed to a lighter purple, fading until there was no trace of it. Sasuke was left blinking as she moved on to his forehead. The gauze patch came off, revealing a nasty 3-inch-long cut possibly deep enough for stitches. Akemi shook her head. "Did Sakura take a look at this?"

"Why would she? I didn't give her any good reason to help me."

_Tough love. But at least it looks like she stopped the bleeding._ The cooling sensation returned, along with an uncomfortable stinging as the wound healed itself. She sat back, admiring her handiwork. "Good enough."

He scowled. If she had made him look even worse than before…

"…But you still smell like the bar, Sasuke."

"Is that really what bothers you, or is it the fact that I went out drinking?"

Her mouth pressed into a straight line. "Both. And maybe next time you should think twice about getting drunk and picking a fight with Naruto."

She saw his eyes flash. He was beginning to see that Akemi's methods of "curing" someone swung drastically between compassion and reproach. Instead of confronting her about how she knew, he said, "I'm going to get cleaned up."

Akemi watched him saunter away and heard the bathroom door close. She was slightly confused about the lack of confrontation. Just as well, she thought. She had other things to take care of.

Half an hour later, just when she was starting to worry that Sasuke had drowned himself in the bathtub…

"What the hell is that?"

Akemi looked up from the bright yellow piece of paper she was securing to his fridge. "This? Just something I thought might help you." She ripped another length of clear packaging tape off the roll. Sasuke thought if she put any more tape over it, she'd end up laminating his entire refrigerator.

He arched an eyebrow suspiciously and went over to read the sign, which, by its color alone, shouted _Caution: Danger Ahead!_

For a moment he was dumbfounded…and not in a good way. What he was staring at was, in his opinion, the worst example of psychologically tormenting "poetry" that could ever be used to brainwash a patient. The most horrifying thing was that he'd be blinded by it every time he reached into the fridge, unless he wanted to stop eating.

"C'mon, read it."

"I am reading it. And this'll be the _last_ time I read it." He started to stalk off, but she grabbed his arm.

"I mean _out loud_," she urged, never releasing her crushing grip.

He cringed. "'I am not to blame for who I was'…" he grumbled. "'I feel better when I face my inner pain.' You've got to be kidding me."

She only looked at him disapprovingly. He gritted his teeth, continuing in a monotone, "'I am responsible for changing myself. I want to change.' _I _want to get out of here. Can we go now?"

"You're not done with the last two lines."

"Those lines don't apply to me. _None_ of this applies to me, and shitty poetry is not going to help me. It wasn't part of our "deal" either."

Above his protests, Akemi read on, "'I can change, I will change, I will never, never, never, never (Sasuke lost count of the "nevers" after four) give up!'" The phrase practically _begged_ to be shouted out loud. Thank Kami Akemi restrained herself. "'I am a good person and I will prevail.'"

He wrenched his arm away and headed for the door.

"It wouldn't hurt to memorize it." She appeared beside him, slipping her sandals on.

"I make it a point to not memorize useless information."

Akemi told herself not to argue, that she was lucky if he did anything she said, and followed him outside.

Sasuke blinked in the sunlight that burned his eyes as soon as he stepped out. Neither spoke to each other. He had his hands shoved in the pockets of his pants, trying to act like he wasn't being escorted by his psychiatrist like some patient from a mental facility. She was watching him out of the corner of her eye, secretly feeling proud that she'd accomplished even this much.

She surprised him when she took the route that led to the river, and not through town. So she didn't think he was ready to be around people yet, after all. Maybe it wasn't surprising. Distrust was nothing new to Sasuke.

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The late afternoon sun glittered on the water, sparking bright, blinding flashes of light over the ripples. Akemi and Sasuke sat on the bordering rocks. She was quiet, but her mind never was; she was trying to find a way to tell him what no one had since he'd woken up from his coma. It wasn't going to be easy.

"There's something you should know, Sasuke…" The wording that ultimately meant bad news would follow turned his attention back to her. With his dark gaze focused on her, she rushed on, "They've been saying that because you killed Itachi, Tsunade decided to give you a second chance. In a way, you've redeemed yourself…"

"That wasn't my intention," he began, but she shot him a look.

"No. And it's not the reason you're still here, either. If you were really regarded as such a hero, you wouldn't be under house arrest."

Her brutal statement struck Sasuke. She had a point. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Then why am I under house arrest?"

She took a breath. Betraying Tsunade's confidence would have its consequences. But she hated having to be sneaky about gathering information. "Orochimaru's disappeared. You're the only one who knows where he could be."

At the mention of the Sannin's name, a shadow passed over Sasuke's expression. "If you really wanted information out of me, couldn't you send me to Ibiki Morino?"

"You think it would be easy for Tsunade – for anyone – to do that to you? No one's giving up on you yet, Sasuke."

"Maybe you should."

Akemi couldn't tell if that statement was meant to sound like self-pity or a demand to leave him alone, but either way he wasn't cooperating. Half of her had expected to get an easy answer as to the disappearance of the immortal, snake-charming, S-class criminal; the other half had sensibly known not to expect so much. Now, as she watched Sasuke arrogantly stalk off into the shade of the trees, she hated him. She hated his blatant refusal to tell her anything. More than that, she hated the chasm between them, and the fact that she couldn't find a bridge to get across it.

"Do you have to be so stubborn?" she demanded, marching after him. He didn't stop walking. "Why do you shut everyone out, push everyone away?"

At this his gaze locked on to her, practically burning through her. He instantly had her backed up against a tree, his face inches away from hers. "I won't tell you this again. Stay out of my life."

Akemi had been intimidated by Sasuke before, but what she feared more than his tone was his expression. In his eyes she saw so much power, and beneath that, so much pain. Sasuke was always so adept at stashing away any and all emotions. Except for now, when they struggled to break free. Years of pent-up anger, frustration, and agony were almost tangible. He was finally losing control of them all…and worse, he didn't know how to stop them.

She was so stunned that she didn't bother to chase after him as he disappeared into the darkening forest. Once again he'd turned his back on her. And this time she was afraid it might be for good.

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_A/N_: Ok, so this is where you're gonna hate me. I've decided to make my sister delete this story so I can edit it. I feel like it's just going nowhere, and that's a pretty crappy feeling. So…I'm giving it a week so that those who care get this memo. Then "Psycho" will be whisked away to the place that magically makes all stories better! (Ya, right, I wish.) If I finish it and actually like it, I'll probably update it. Thanks to all who read, reviewed, or favorited this! And thanks to my sis for letting me use her fanfic account in the first place! In the meantime, entertain yourself with the other really good stories around here…_Sayonara!_

_R/N: _Well, I happen to _like _having "Psycho" up online... so I won't be deleting it afterall! But (sadly) don't expect updates any time soon. It came as a shocker to me too... reviews are _still _welcome however. XD


	12. Chapter 12

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"_Either you find a "friendly" way to get Sasuke to open up, or…"_

Tsunade's words rang in her head, stinging her already wounded pride. She had been too friendly. She had tiptoed around him when she should've been professional and gotten down to the answers. Answers they all needed. Answers that would have been valuable long before now.

Orochimaru was dead.

Akemi remembered the grim look on Tsunade's face as the Hokage relayed the news to her. It didn't matter that they were dealing with a brooding, secretive, missing-then-found-nin who was highly skilled at keeping his thoughts (and himself) hidden from everyone. It had been Akemi's job, her responsibility, to break through that barrier. And she'd failed.

Ever since leaving the Hokage's office earlier that evening, she had wished it was all a bad dream. But she knew she wouldn't wake up. She knew her disappointment – her _failure_ – was real. Yet, the entire thing felt so _un_real…

Orochimaru was dead. Killed by Sasuke.

Maybe a part of her should've felt some glimmer of hope that the Sasuke she knew, the Sasuke she loved…

Wait…_loved?_ The idea stopped her in her tracks. No. She refused to think she still did. Just the other day she had hated him. But the word clung to her like a thick fog. She shook it off, sighed heavily.

…Maybe…Maybe he wasn't lost completely…

Which was why Akemi had summoned enough courage to seek him out again. It wasn't to plead with him. It wasn't to "fix" him. Even though she was out of a job, she could still be a friend. She only hoped it wasn't too late. Tsunade had no doubt sent ANBU after him by now.

She walked dazedly through the dead streets. Her feet knew the way by now. Sorrow filled every decaying storefront, every unlit house. Just like it permeated every part of Sasuke's own home. No, not only his home – his life.

Akemi's eyes wandered upward, searching. She could've sworn she was being watched. Only the moon glared down at her. It was pure white; no warm yellow glow emanated from it to cast out its harsh pallor. A full moon. Identical to the one that had hung in the sky the first time he'd left.

The ghostly light captured so much of her attention she almost didn't realize what was right in front of her.

Bodies. At least a dozen lying in the middle of the street. All of them were ANBU Black Ops members.

Akemi's breath caught in her throat, terror coursing through her. She wondered if this was how Sasuke had felt when he'd seen the aftermath of his clan's massacre. But that had been his family, so it must have been devastating. What she was seeing was nothing compared to that…

A cold blade pressed against her skin, shocking her back to the present. Icy fingers of dread sent a chill down her spine. Her body turned to lead even as her heart raced. His breath warmed the back of her neck, he was standing so close.

She closed her eyes, waiting.

Noting her reaction, and assuming she wouldn't be able to get her voice to work any time soon, Sasuke spoke first. "What are you doing here?"

"That would be easier to answer if you didn't have your sword practically cutting into my neck," she responded vehemently, her voice trembling only slightly.

Well, he was wrong about her losing her voice. She was playing brave again. He slowly sheathed the weapon, allowing her to turn and face him. Even in the dim light his outfit was unmistakable. It was one she'd only seen once before, when she'd confronted him in his own subconscience. She recognized the white kimono and black pants, tied at the waist with the Sound ninja's fashion staple – a purple rope. He was leaving. The fact that Tsunade now knew about Orochimaru's fate gave him the perfect excuse to.

But he wasn't hostile, he wasn't cold, he wasn't moping, he was…She didn't dare want to think it, but he was almost calm. As far as calm went for Sasuke. Whether it was an improvement from last time, or not, she wasn't sure.

"You did this?" she motioned to the mess she now had her back to.

His gaze never left her face. "They're not dead. You didn't answer my question."

"What do you mean, they're not dead? They look pretty dead to me!"

"I had no reason to kill them."

"Even though Tsunade-sama sent them after you?" She knelt beside one of the men, putting two fingers against his neck and, to her surprise, found a pulse.

At that moment she heard a groan from another one about a foot away. Sasuke gave him a swift kick in the head, knocking him unconscious again. He knew he'd have to get out of there soon, before the other Black Ops realized their buddies hadn't yet returned. Or maybe they already had realized, and the Hokage had chosen a different approach…

"Hn." Sasuke regarded Akemi skeptically, but kept his tone even, "Did she send you, too?"

Akemi sighed. If they kept interrogating each other they'd get nowhere. Satisfied that the defeated ANBU would live, she got to her feet. "No. I came on my own. Sasuke…" Needing the contact, needing him to listen to her, she placed a hand on his arm.

Irritation crossed his face. He stared at her hand as if he could make it burst into flames simply by looking at it. "You know I'm leaving."

"I know, but…Why? If you're worried about what they'll do to you –"

"No," he cut her off. "I just have something to care of, that's why." His excuse wasn't enough for her, he could tell. And he didn't care. She wouldn't stand in his way again. "You know you can't stop me."

"But I can try," she shot back stubbornly.

Sasuke smirked. "Fine. Try." His hand went to the hilt of his _chokuto_. At least this got her to back up.

Her eyes narrowed, watching him closely. She never dreamed she might have to fight him, but she knew just the weapon she was going to use.

As his blade arched towards her, she gathered her chakra, launching off the ground to land on a nearby roof. Their gazes locked across the distance, heated determination pulsing between them. Neither was willing to lose. Akemi noticed Sasuke hadn't activated his Sharingan yet – that could work to her advantage. He wanted to shut her out again, so instead she had to let him in.

Never breaking eye contact, her hands became a blur as she formed the necessary signs. Heat spread from the mark on her neck and through the rest of her body as she thrust everything she had at him. He saw her fiery eyes glow with some kind of inner light…and then it was too late. The effects of her mind jutsu were immediate.

_You said you want me out of your life, but I won't leave…Not before I give you a piece of mine._

Sasuke shook his head rapidly, trying to rid his mind of the voices, the memories. It only made them more vivid. Sight blurring, he risked one more glance up at her…She was still crouching on the roof, palms pressed together before her, eyes squinted shut in concentration…Then he was captured by the vision.

This wasn't a collection of jumbled images like Sasuke's memory had been; Akemi had had years to hone her unique skill. She sent him back three years, to the one night that had changed everything.

They were standing in his room, the moon pouring light through the window. His old emotions were dredged up from the past, combined with what Akemi had felt. After all, it was her memory. The combination had the ability to wound like a double-edged sword.

Anger burned within her. Pain choked her, giving her voice the sharp edge he heard in it. _"So you'd rather turn your back on everything, everyone? They mean that little to you?" _She jabbed a finger at the picture on his shelf.

"_I have nothing here. I live for one reason, and one reason only. I need something more than what they can give me,"_ he heard his younger self state. It was cruel to have to push her away like that. But at the time it was the best reason he could give her.

"_What about me? Am I nothing to you?" _Her plea fell on deaf ears. He didn't look at her. It tore her apart, the feeling of uselessness. Just like it was tearing him apart as the vision grew stronger.

She knew it was futile. He knew she would never understand. She thought his need for revenge was twisted. He thought her constant pleading was weak.

"_Don't you realize what they could do to you?"_ Akemi's quiet voice broke in again.

Sasuke had known. No matter how much he'd be tortured, or how his mind would be tormented, it was the path he'd chosen. His inner turmoil was masked by indifference. _"It doesn't matter. As long as it makes me stronger."_

Something in her snapped. Sasuke felt the clash of emotions, heated indignation against cold conviction. He was slipping away from her, and it killed her that she couldn't seem to save him from himself. The memory began to reflect her emotions – it was becoming fragmented, wavering. It was hurting her to relive it, too.

His team picture was turned face down.

Hopelessness. "_I don't want to lose you. Sasuke, if I could–"_

Frustration. _"You're not going to change my mind, so you might as well shut up."_

The storm broke. Years later he still didn't have an explanation for why it happened. Finally he'd learned to forget it ever did. That was until now, when he was being forced to go through it again…

Everything he couldn't put into words streamed into his kiss – the first one they'd shared. The one Akemi had thought would also be the last. After the initial shock, Akemi melted into him, and took all he entrusted to her. Sasuke was falling, for once not caring, for once letting himself need someone. In response, he sensed hope flare back to life inside her.

Past and present blurred. Akemi assumed she was still caught up in the vision. Yet there was something distinctly different. She felt his hard body press against her, his unyielding lips finally part to brush a kiss over hers. Her lips were warm, teasing. The kiss deepened, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, her hands tangled into his hair. It was all so vivid, every taste, every texture. They were held together by the thread of a memory.

Akemi didn't know when she'd gone from crouching on the roof to leaning into Sasuke's arms. No, not just that – _kissing_ Sasuke. She didn't want goodbye, she wanted _this_, him…them. And Sasuke…Sasuke didn't know what he wanted.

_Please…_

The single word echoed in his head, just before agony shot through him. She felt it ripple out and spread to her as well. Her concentration wavered, and the vision lost its hold on him. _Don't forget your purpose – you still have a debt to pay, _a different voice hissed at him. He jerked back. In an instant his eyes became cold, hard onyx.

Sasuke shoved Akemi away from him. His power coiled like a snake, ready to strike out if she took him under again. "If that was your attempt to get me to stay, it didn't work," he scowled.

She hadn't meant to open the floodgate and let all those emotions out. "I'm…I'm sorry," still reeling from her own lack of self-control, she stammered an apology. "I figured it wouldn't." When she looked back at him, she saw no forgiveness in his eyes. So she did the only thing she could do.

"I just wanted to leave you with the pain _I_ felt last time you ran out on everyone." It took more willpower than she'd known she possessed to turn away from him. And start walking. One step, then another. She ignored the pain building in her chest.

This time, she didn't have to watch him walk away from her. She didn't have to cry. Akemi told herself that this time, she was stronger.

"If you follow me, I'll know, but I won't do anything to stop you," his voice rang out behind her like another challenge. "Then again, I don't think it's me you need to worry about," he added as an afterthought.

Already he sounded so far away.

Sasuke watched her half turn towards him, glance over her shoulder with eyes that held none of their previous warmth. She smiled, a tight-lipped smile that didn't spread gently across her face. He got another view of her back as the moonlight lit her path away from him.

He took the opposite direction, leading out of Konoha. Into the darkness again.

Maybe if Akemi had looked back, she would have seen the three figures waiting silently for him in that darkness.

But she didn't want him to see her eyes already glossing over with unshed tears.

As much as she tried to be strong, some things never stopped hurting, she thought.

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_A/N: _Kind of uneventful, but it's just a setup for the rest of it. Sorry I couldn't find a more creative way to say…Orochimaru's dead! The vision Sasuke gets sucked into was taken from one of my previous fanfics, but of course I'm not going to take over my sister's account by posting it. In short, it's what happened between Akemi and Sasuke the night he first left (and yes, it included a kiss). Ok, now review!


	13. Chapter 13

_R/N: _Here it is! ... Well since _I'm _not the author, just a fellow reader this time, I don't have much more to say other then: Enjoy! And thanks for the reviews!

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"What have you been doing for the past...oh...one and a half months, Sasuke?" his female companion gave him a criticizing look from behind thick-rimmed glasses.

He ignored it, along with her patronizing tone, as he kept his eyes on the path ahead. "Nothing important. I already told you, Karin, I came back as soon as I could."

Her scowl only deepened. "What, afraid someone had stolen your Sasuke-kun away?" Suigetsu mocked her.

"N-no! That's..._Argh!_ Just shut up!" Suigetsu's face exploded from the force of her punch, then dripped back into place wearing a smirk.

Sasuke watched them wordlessly. Obviously they had been without discipline for one month too many. They were already at each other's throats. And he wouldn't show it, but Suigetsu's comment had bothered him nearly as much as it had frazzled Karin. It got him thinking of Akemi again. He didn't need to be reminded of the previous night; he was still recovering from it.

He almost got distracted by the memory of her fierce determination, and then the way she just let it – let _him_ – go...That final look she gave him...

A few fragmented shouts dragged him back. "...abandon you..." "...jerk! How dare you...!" Karin and Suigetsu were still arguing. Sasuke glared at them, suddenly feeling extremely exhausted. Not to mention fed up and out of patience. "That's enough you two. We've still got a long way to go, so let's get moving."

Now that they were being forced to cooperate again, they settled for a few hateful glances at each other.

Only Juugo seemed to have noticed the dull pain that clouded their self-proclaimed leader's eyes moments ago.

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"Akemi! Are you awake? It's already noon!" She heard her sister shout outside her door. Instead of answering, Akemi pulled the covers over her head, blocking out the sunlight that flooded the room and _should_ have made it impossible to sleep. But when the only thing she wanted to do was sleep for a million years – that, or simply die – sleep was possible under any circumstances.

Jiyou, however, was not going to make it easy. After a couple insistent knocks, the door flew open and Akemi's sheets were wrenched off her head.

"What's the matter with you? The Hokage needs to see you. It sounds urgent!"

Akemi blinked up at her sister. "I just didn't get enough sleep last night, that's all...Wait...the Hokage?" _Damn. Tsunade knows._ She put her head in her hands. "Oh, Kami, no..."

Jiyou watched her curiously. "This is about Sasuke again, isn't it?"

"No..." Akemi rubbed sleep from her eyes and caught the other girl's hard look. "Ok, yes it is."

Her sister muttered something about "trouble." She sighed, then rushed on, "He left again last night. For good, I think. I couldn't stop him...And you should've heard about it by now. If not, we're really out of the loop." She managed a small smile. But Jiyou's shocked expression confirmed that the rumors hadn't started just yet. Tsunade was doing a good job of keeping things quiet. It was only a matter of time, though. Akemi wondered if Naruto and Sakura knew yet...

She felt something wet trail down her cheek and realized she was crying. "I couldn't stop him...Just like last time. I just walked away. Now I don't know what to do..."

At first Jiyou was unsure of how to comfort her. Akemi hardly ever cried. For once her younger sister dropped her usual sarcasm, slinging an arm around her shoulder. She thought for a minute before saying, "Well, the way I see it, you have _two_ choices..."

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So now Akemi stood at the crossroads outside of Konoha. And she couldn't _believe_ she had somehow gotten herself enlisted to "help" Sasuke again. This time, however, she wasn't alone – Naruto and Sakura, along with Kakashi and his dogs, formed the rest of the team.

Akemi figured agreeing to Tsunade's request for her to join this last-ditch attempt to convince Sasuke to stay imprisoned within his hometown was easier than, as her sister had put it, "pining after him for the rest of her life." Because she did, in fact, (as Jiyou also clearly pointed out) "love him." No amount of self-denial seemed to change that.

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"Hey, Sakura, you can see everything from up here!"

The pink-haired kunoichi stared up in the direction of the obnoxious voice coming from the nearest tree. "Naruto, get down from there! You could at least help us pitch this tent!" Sakura caught one of the precariously leaning poles before it smacked her in the head.

Akemi looked on from her spot by the campfire...which wasn't exactly very fiery yet. _I wish Sasuke was here to..._ She stopped her train of thought abruptly, tightening her grip on the matchbox. Why did everything have to remind her of him?

"We'll find him, don't worry." Kakashi's unfailingly calm voice startled her as he appeared beside her. "We've only been traveling for two days. Once we get closer, we can really use that mind-tracking ability of yours."

She struck a match forcefully, watching the flame spark and flicker before tossing it into the pile of wood. "Yeah, but...are you sure it's the right thing? What we're doing? I mean, we can't hold him against his will..."

Kakashi shrugged. He pulled his new book out of his pocket, preparing to keep the first watch as dusk fell. "We can't let him get away with what he's done, either. Every action has its consequences."

Akemi resisted the urge to huff out an exasperated breath. It was just what she'd heard before. As much as she hadn't wanted to, she'd finally found the courage to let Sasuke go, at least physically. He would always haunt her as the memory of her girlish fantasy about love, the presence she felt following her, the shadows she saw at night.

But these people...they seemed to think the more they chased him, the more they could win him back. She'd believed that, too, once. And she knew it was pointless to argue otherwise.

She simply nodded. Naruto was now insisting that he would sleep in the tree, while Sakura shouted back that he was such a klutz he'd probably fall out and get a concussion. That or it would downpour and he'd get pneumonia, and either way she wouldn't be the one to heal him. Kakashi was left to deal with the half-pitched, slowly collapsing tent.

It didn't matter, Akemi told herself. Her job would officially be done after this mission. Whether Sasuke cooperated or not wasn't up to her. Another match flared to life, this time setting the tinder ablaze and finally driving out the approaching darkness.

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The last watch of the night was Akemi's. But she had a different plan. Sasuke was traveling with three other people, that much they had figured out with Pakkun's help. What the others didn't know was that the four were closer than they thought. Akemi had already been able to track one of them; she had seen for a brief instant where they were. They were good at covering their tracks, but they couldn't hide much from her jutsu.

Akemi poked at the embers of the campfire. Naruto's snores from inside the tent reassured her that he, at least, was sleeping soundly. She could only hope that Sakura and Kakashi were heavy sleepers, too. Drawing up the hood on her dark cloak, she threw one last glance over her shoulder before forming the handsigns that would transport her just far enough away so Pakkun couldn't catch her scent. She then continued on foot, pushing through the thickest parts of the forest, using her mind's eye as a guide.

She didn't stop until the first rays of light dappled the forest floor. _I'm close. I can sense it._ Taking a look around, Akemi saw nothing out of the ordinary. She spread her cloak on the ground, sat down, and focused her chakra. It was a risk, but she had to know just _how_ close.

The jutsu released. In her mind Akemi was being transported through the trees, almost coming in contact with another subconscience…

"What do we have here?" the smug voice broke Akemi's concentration before she could get a grasp on the person's whereabouts. She cursed silently; she shouldn't have let her guard down. Not when she was traveling alone.

The voice had come from the woman in the branches above her. One hand rested on her hip, her chin tipped ever-so-slightly to give her a haughty appearance. Akemi could already tell that this one had an attitude. What she couldn't tell was whether she was friend or foe. There was no way to identify which village she came from.

"Who are you?" Akemi's eyes narrowed. She got to her feet, resting a hand on her own hip, just close enough to reach her weapons, if needed.

"I really don't think that's important." The girl jumped down, landing smoothly in front of Akemi.

She noticed they were nearly the same height, almost the same build. And they had very similar tastes in clothing. _What the..? She stole my outfit!_ Akemi took in the half-zipped shirt, the low-riding shorts. Suddenly she didn't like this girl.

Which was fine with Karin. One glance at Akemi told her that they wouldn't get along at all. Not surprising, though – Karin hardly got along with anyone.

"But let's get to the point. An interesting jutsu you've got there." She saw Akemi's eyes widen slightly. "Yeah, I know about it. Why do you think I knew to block you?"

This one was good, Akemi admitted. Then realization hit her. "You're traveling with Sasuke, aren't you?"

"And you're hunting him." Karin smirked in amusement. Inside she was glowering. No one was getting near _her_ Sasuke. "Guess there's only one way to settle this…"

A kunai flashed towards Akemi, but hit the nearest tree with a dull _**THUNK **_as Akemi dodged it and perched on a low branch. In an instant she had her weapon of choice – her razor-edged folding fans – out. She didn't have time to fool around.

"_Tch._" Karin sneered at Akemi. "This is _too _easy."

"All talk, aren't we?" With a flick of her wrist the fans opened, revealing an artistic brush pattern. "You really _are_ convinced you deserve to be on the same team as Sasuke. So show me."

The redhead tossed her hair impatiently, trying to distract her opponent from her attempts to reach for another kunai. Akemi's lips curled into a slight smile. She wasn't going to fall for such a weak cover.

"Stupid girl. I don't _have to._" Soon Karin was fingering a kunai behind her back. Akemi anticipated her next attack. A rush of adrenaline and a solid hurl sent a second knife flying towards Akemi's shoulder.

With ease she dodged it, repelling it with her steel accessory. Suddenly a wave of suspicion swept over the kunoichi. Karin was right, this _was _too easy. A game of cat and mouse was probably the easiest way to defeat a naive rival.

Akemi criticized herself for falling for such a basic tactic. "What's wrong? Had enough already? Oh too _bad…_" Karin snorted mockingly. She had not moved more than a foot if any. Yet Akemi was at least six yards from her starting stance.

Akemi was bound to fall into a trap if she wasn't more careful. _Sakura may fall for that, but not me. Think Akemi. There must be a reason Karin has been protecting her position. Sasuke's team is stationed somewhere behind her._

She licked her lips. Bitter hatred gave her a new surplus of energy.

"Hm. And _that _is why Sasuke chose–" her taunting was cut off by the whirr of Akemi's fan flying past her.

Karin's eyes grew wide. Both girls watched as strands of red hair fell to the forest floor. Karin growled angrily. Akemi laughed.

It was just the distraction she needed to work her jutsu. Karin caught the swift movement of Akemi's hands, but it was already too late. The jutsu hit her full-force, the shock of it numbing her mind while pain burst through her body. For an instant it seemed as if someone had shined a bright white light if front of her eyes. She winced, reeling back and into a tree.

Akemi watched her reaction with some self-satisfaction. _That'll give her more than a migraine,_ she thought. Even though using her mind jutsu to inflict pain cost her energy, Akemi willed her body to move forward.

However, she hadn't anticipated Karin's quick recovery. As stunned as she was, the kunoichi was not to be underestimated. An arm swung up to block Akemi's flying kick before it connected with her abdomen. Karin used her rival's momentum against her, sending her backwards. Akemi flipped, landed on her hands, sprang over.

Just in time to see a fan of kunai in each of Karin's hands. "Alright, that's enough! I'm done playing with you!" Her eyes flashed fiercely.

Kunai streamed towards Akemi. She was able to deflect half of them as she arched her steel fan through the air. Others flew by her, landing behind her, beside her, right in front of her feet…Surrounding her. One nicked her forearm, the sting of it soon blocked by adrenaline when Akemi realized they also had exploding tags attached to them.

_Kuso! She's too smart. _There was no time to send Karin a hateful glare before she transported herself into the branches of a tree, seconds before the ground went up in flames and smoke. Akemi peered down from her height advantage. Only a shock of (considerably shorter) red hair was visible through the haze.

Her fan had just clicked open when a hand grabbed her wrist, wrenching her arm behind her. Akemi bit back a cry as agony shot from her shoulder on down. Almost as suddenly, another hand clamped around her throat, finding the pressure points and strangling any sound she could've made. Too late. She realized that seeking a higher vantage point had been her mistake. She'd unwittingly fallen into a trap.

Akemi's vision wavered, but this time it wasn't from the smoke. "Hey Karin, nice hair!" The taunting voice was the last thing she heard before she blacked out.

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_R/N: _Ewww. Karin XP her and her ugly hair. What'll happen to Akemi _now? _Yea I dunno either. Reviews are loved! XDD


	14. Chapter 14

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Akemi awoke to…nothing. No sound, no light. No signs of life anywhere. _Where am I? And why am I always going unconscious? Stupid move Akemi…_

She could tell she was lying on a hard bed…_Well that was nice of them…_

But when she tried to prop herself up, her right arm protested the movement. Pain screamed through her once again. She fell back on the mattress limply, instead reaching out with her other hand to try to feel out her surroundings. Her fingers brushed a rough stone wall; she could feel nothing on the other side of the bed.

"Great, I'm in a dungeon," Akemi muttered to herself. And if she didn't get out of there soon, she thought grimly, she'd go crazy talking to no one but herself.

"I felt that way when I first came here, too." Akemi shot up into a sitting position, hissing and clutching her shoulder which (not surprisingly) still didn't want to be moved. She _knew_ that voice. Something in the darkness moved – Akemi could sense it drawing nearer. A candle flickered suddenly. Then she saw his face.

At that moment it seemed to be the most welcome sight in the world. But then again, after straining your eyes in the dark anything could be a welcome sight.

"Sasuke."

"Akemi." He didn't return her relieved smile.

She tore her eyes away, instead taking in the dull walls, the sparse furniture…and then her eyes were back to Sasuke. There really wasn't much else to look at in the room.

He was watching her with a mixture of animosity and suspicion. Considering what she'd done to him last time, she couldn't blame him. Or was that concern she saw in his expression?

"How's your arm?"

_Aha! So he _does_ care._ "I could use some painkillers," she replied bitterly. "But I'm sure it's better than it was."

He nodded once, pulling a small bottle from a hidden pocket. Akemi swallowed down the two pills he handed her, trusting they weren't sleeping pills…or poison. "It was dislocated. We did what we could with limited medical ninjutsu."

'_We'...?_ A grim expression settled on her face. "So that redhead _is_ with you? And who was the one who knocked me out?" Her eyes narrowed at the memory.

"Karin's the one you fought. The other was Suigetsu." Sasuke's tone remained indifferent, and he didn't offer any further information. "I told you it wasn't me who'd stop you."

This time Akemi glared openly at him. "But you let _them_ do this to me? And now what am I, your hostage?" her voice rose impatiently.

"I didn't send them after you. Karin sensed you following us. She only told me she needed to deal with someone. I didn't argue – we couldn't expose our location."

"A typical excuse. I guess it didn't occur to you that the 'someone' was me?" Akemi folded her arms, ignoring the dull throb in her shoulder.

"I warned you. And why do you still care what happens to me?" Sasuke growled.

"I _don't_ care. I only wanted to tell you that Tsunade sent out another search party. They'll drag you back to Konoha if they have to." Her voice dropped to just above a whisper. "And I want you as far away as possible."

Sasuke kept his expression irritatingly neutral. He already knew people were after him. He'd expected it. He also knew Akemi was lying about not caring. She was forever contradicting herself. She wanted him to stay in Konoha, but she'd let him leave. Now her voice was telling him to run, while her eyes pleaded with him not to.

He couldn't stand those eyes. He turned to leave. "We're staying here for a few days. Don't worry, it's not the type of place that's easy to find."

Sasuke got halfway to the door before a hand slapped onto his arm, nails digging in. "I am _not_ staying here. I will not be held captive in one of Orochimaru's damned hideouts!"

His expression darkened. Or maybe it was a trick of the candlelight flickering over his face. "You don't have a choice."

"Why? I'm not an invalid! And you sure as hell have no right to treat me like a prisoner! Or are you worried I'll go free and immediately reveal your hiding place?" she spat.

He grabbed her wrist, prying her claws off. "I'm not letting you leave, Akemi." With that, he left her alone in the dreary room with a single candle. She heard a click as he locked her door from the outside.

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"Feisty one, isn't she? Sure you can handle her?" Suigestsu was leaning casually against the wall when Sasuke came out. All he got for an answer was a deadly glower. Suigetsu smirked at Sasuke's back as he stalked away.

Further down the hall Sasuke heard muttering, cursing, then something breaking. _Karin._ He stopped at the open door to her room… "Still no luck with the hair?"…And would've gotten his head taken off by a hairbrush had his reflexes been slower.

Karin's eyes grew wide when she saw who she'd chucked the hairstyling missile at. "Sasuke! I didn't mean to throw that at _you_. I thought you were…" she trailed off, realizing she wouldn't get on his good side if she admitted to fighting with Suigetsu again.

"Hn. I know." Sasuke held the brush out to her. "You never miss, do you Karin."

Her hips swayed suggestively as she sidled over to him. She gave him a flirtatious glance, fingers brushing his as she accepted it. "Not unless I mean to."

That look always made him want to cringe. He wasn't amused. And he was far from seduced. "So you were just toying with Akemi."

Karin's playful look vanished. "We went over this," she replied testily. "At least I followed your "no killing" policy. How was I supposed to know she was your ex-girlfriend?"

"She's not my ex-girlfriend," Sasuke said through gritted teeth.

"Hmph. Well, anyway, since you're so intent on keeping her safe, I'll be sure to stay well away from her." The redhead turned back to the mirror and ran her fingers through her choppy hair. Catching Sasuke's hard glare in the reflection, she added offhandedly, "You might want to watch Suigetsu, though."

He was gone before she could aggravate him further. He didn't see Karin's fists clench hard enough to snap the brush in two…

Sasuke refused to rethink his decision to keep Akemi with them. But, damn her, she had not only turned _his_ life upside-down; now she was affecting his entire team. With the exception of Juugo. The mentally unstable shinobi seemed more concerned about being confined in one of Orochimaru's secret bases than "taking care of" the new kunoichi. Which was best, Sasuke thought as he sought his own solitude.

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Meanwhile, Akemi sat alone with her thoughts. This, she discovered, was a dangerous thing, especially when they wouldn't settle. It was almost as dangerous as talking to herself. She was just about to send herself into a meditative trance when she felt the darkness move. Near the door, just beyond the glowing circle of candlelight, something stirred. And rising from the floor, formed into a man. She gasped, instinctively clutching a kunai.

"Ah c'mon, there's no need for that." The figure stepped into the light. Silver hair, pale skin, and rows of pointed teeth were ghastly illuminated.

Akemi didn't doubt that this was Suigetsu. Since she already had a grudge against him, she didn't believe she'd get along with him, either. Obviously he had other ideas.

"Still mad at me, huh?" he said, reading her mind. "Can't we just forget about that? Sasuke fixed you up, and now I'm here to…make amends." His grin never wavered as his eyes swept over her body.

Instantly Akemi regretted her belly-baring, short-skirted choice of uniform. "I'm not interested in your apologies." Her voice held as much steel in it as her eyes.

"I never said I'd apologize." He closed the distance between them.

Pride made her refuse to back up. "Then you can just slink out the way you came in."

She attempted to shove past him, which only resulted in her being shoved against the wall. She sucked in a breath when her shoulder hit the rock painfully. A breath that was almost instantly stolen as Suigetsu's mouth covered hers. His tongue plunged in while his hands assaulted her, traveling down her body, playing over bared skin.

Everything in her struggled against his leanly muscled body holding her firmly against the wall. Her good arm twisted out of his grasp, her hand still gripping the kunai, moving just enough to slice across his abdomen.

Suigetsu jerked back, more out of surprise than pain. A short laugh escaped him. "Well all you had to do was say 'no'."

Water, not blood, dripped from the cut and seeped through his shirt. Akemi watched in horror as the wound already began to "heal" itself. "What are you?"

"I've been called a lot of things. Bastard, monster, prodigy…take your pick." Those unnervingly sharp teeth flashed again when he smiled. "Hey, when you get sick of being Sasuke's plaything, come find me." He appeared to melt into the floor, slinking out just as she'd told him to.

Akemi stared in silence. She didn't feel like she could collect herself again. After being beaten, locked in the dark, left alone, not allowed to leave…and, on top of that, being thoroughly creeped out and harassed by a strange man…well, _something_ had to give.

There was a ten-second delay, and then…

Akemi's scream echoed throughout the small chamber and filtered into the hall. It reverberated off the stone walls, finally reaching Sasuke's ears as he sat in the training room, sharpening weapons. The sound took a moment to register; Karin never screamed, and there was a very small chance of any damsels in distress being nearby. Except…

_Akemi? Kuso!_ Suigetsu's smirk, Karin's barely-concealed jealousy, Juugo in demon form…All these images flashed through his mind. Sasuke wasted no time navigating the maze of tunnels to get to her room, far removed from the others. That might've been his first mistake, he realized. He should've kept her closer.

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Akemi was crouched on the ground, her head in her hands, when the door burst open. Her head snapped up, recognition and then fury flashing in her eyes. A wicked left hook caught Sasuke in the jaw before he'd even registered her move.

"Uchiha Sasuke, I HATE YOU!" her scream bordered on hysteria. The entire scene caught him so off-guard that he could only stand there as she stormed out of the room.

Stale, heavy air filled her lungs. Candlelight painted eerie shadows on the walls. The sound of her running feet bounced back at her. Akemi stumbled more than once over the uneven ground. But she kept going, never hesitating until she came to where her path split.

It only took Akemi a few minutes to locate the exit with another jutsu. Once again she used her mind's eye, this time to find her way through the nondescript halls. Sasuke's house was nothing compared to this place. Each tunnel was meant to lead you further in, not out. And you never knew what you'd find if you happened to open one of the heavy wood doors.

Before long Akemi heard the awful sound of footsteps behind her…and the way out was right ahead of her. _Thank Kami!_

She burst outside into the soft haze of twilight, abruptly slamming into something in front of her…

"Sasuke?" she looked up, meeting his cold black eyes. _Jeez, he's fast. How'd he–?_ She winced when he gripped her forearm, returning her attention to him.

"Where are you going?"

"Away from _here_. I told you, you can't keep me here! And after what your shark-toothed friend almost did to me, I think I have a good reason to leave!"

His hold on her became vice-like. "What?"

"Suigetsu had his grabby hands all over me!" Akemi shouted. She didn't want to be blunter than that.

A scowl tugged at his mouth. She felt his rage building and could only assume that he and Suigetsu's "friendship" had been on rocky ground from the start. "I'll take care of it," he said stiffly, dragging her with him as he walked back towards the hidden entrance.

"_What?_ No, I'm not going back in there!" she protested and dug her heels in.

Her childish behavior only irritated him. "Where will you go instead? Out there?" Sasuke replied impatiently, turning Akemi around so she could get a good look at her surroundings.

That's when she realized she was standing in a vast field. Fog rolled over the ground. A forest rose against the horizon. Nothing moved, as if even the wind had deserted the place.

Akemi had been unconscious when she'd arrived there, and so had no hope of finding her way out. Unless she wanted to use another locating jutsu, which would require most of her chakra. Sasuke hung back as Akemi took a few more steps into the field. She turned slowly in a circle, confirming that there was nothing more to be seen. She built up a determined countenance to hide how defeated she still felt. Fighting was futile; trying to escape was useless, at least until she recovered a bit more.

"Okay. I get it now. You can't let me get lost, but you can't take me back yourself, either." Akemi sighed. "Funny, before you couldn't wait to get rid of me. What changed?"

Sasuke avoided her gaze. "Nothing. You think I _want_ you here? I had no choice in the matter."

"Of course you did. You could've left me out here, hurt, alone. But you didn't." A hint of a smile graced her lips.

Sasuke recognized the look she was giving him, the one that made him feel like she could see inside him, right down to the things he kept hidden the deepest. He might not be able to hide much from her, but she couldn't lie to him, either. "And you could've stayed in Konoha, instead of being held here, since you said you don't care what happens to me anymore," he countered.

He'd caught her. She couldn't argue with that, not when it was the truth. Not when he'd seen through her. _So much for "not caring."_

Attempting to avoid another argument, Akemi said, "Well, I can deal with this, as long as you don't lock me in the room anymore."

"Fine. We're done here, then?"

"Yeah." Stopping at the entrance, Akemi took one last look at the sky, wondering when she'd get to see it again. Because unlike Sasuke, she couldn't accept a life lived in darkness.

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_A/N:_ I forgot to say this last chapter, so much thanks goes to my beta for (temporarily) breaking my writers' block! Yeah, this chapter, hmm…I hope Suigetsu and Karin are ok. (Sorry for any OOC-ness!) It's a challenge, trying to write for them. Thanks for the reviews, by the way! I'm off to write my next chappie!


	15. Chapter 15

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Later that night, Sasuke fell into a fitful sleep. And dreamed…

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A dusky purple light filtered into Orochimaru's lair. Shapes blurred, shadows cluttered the corners. A thin haze seemed to cloud Sasuke's vision, as it usually did in dreams. It was fitting, he thought; it added to the forbidding atmosphere.

"You've kept me waiting, Sasuke-kun," a snakelike voice echoed through the chamber. The man himself stepped into the light a second later.

Sasuke regarded him contemptuously. He had no more respect for the snake Sannin now than he'd had for him when he was alive.

"But now that you're here…you didn't come alone." Sasuke knew who Orochimaru was referring to even before he continued, "That mind specialist is very manipulative, isn't she?"

"Don't bring her into this," the Uchiha warned.

"_You_ brought her into this when you brought her _here_!" Orochimaru circled his former student like a predator. "She's your weakness, Sasuke-kun."

"She doesn't matter–" he was cut off when pain burst from the curse mark that would forever mar him. He was almost driven to his knees, but refused to look defeated. However, he couldn't restrain himself from clutching the base of his neck – as if that could do anything to stop the torture.

"I trained you not to have any weaknesses! She has a hold on you. But you forget that so do I."

The pain grew more intense, like fire searing through his veins. Unable to fight it, Sasuke hit his knees. He gritted his teeth while his mentor looked on, sneering with sadistic pleasure. "This would be so much easier if you would cooperate. You know it's the only way, Sasuke-kun. You'll never get rid of me."

By then his breath was ragged from the effort to suppress the agony and the sly voice urging him to give in. "I think you forgot what happened the last time you tried controlling me." Sasuke glared defiantly at the snake man with Sharingan activated eyes.

Orochimaru chuckled hollowly. "You can't defeat me. You can't even touch me." His grin widened. "You _are_ me."

"Never."

Purple-lined eyes narrowed. "Maybe you just need to cut a few more bonds, then." With a flick of his wrist another shape emerged from the darkness. Her clothes and hair were disheveled as if she'd put up quite a fight. When her eyes met Sasuke's, they were full of fear and confusion, though their bright amber color hadn't lost its intensity.

"It's only an illusion," Sasuke muttered to himself.

"Is it really?" that sinister voice taunted him. "Or…it could be what will happen if I'm forced to take matters into my own hands."

The woman gasped as snakes began to twine around her body. The Sannin's form wavered and shifted, becoming Sasuke's image instead. As if in slow-motion, his _chokuto_ was drawn from its sheath, the blade came down…

The Uchiha looked on helplessly as Akemi died right in front of him, and by his own hand.

000

Akemi was yanked out of her owndreamland by a scream of fury tinged with despair. She listened in the dark, but didn't hear a thing. Silence, as usual. And yet she was sure she had heard _something_. Her instincts told her she hadn't imagined it – she could never have imagined a sound so horrible.

Dread gnawing at her insides, Akemi lit a candle and slipped out of the room. She would check Sasuke's quarters first, since he had moved her only two rooms away from his own. She was relieved to find he didn't lock his door and crept in.

"Sasuke..?" she whispered tentatively. Of course there was no answer. Akemi berated herself for being so paranoid. She was acting like a child seeking its parents after a nightmare. But unlike a sympathetic parent, Sasuke wouldn't comfort her.

Just when she was about to slip away again, she heard a low moan. It appeared she wasn't the only one who couldn't get a good night's sleep.

When she reached his bed she felt her pulse quicken in concern. He was breathing shallowly, his eyelids twitching rapidly. _A nightmare, _Akemi concluded. Placing a gentle hand on his forehead, she felt a burning heat like a fever. He shuddered at her touch. _A really bad nightmare._

Akemi thought back to the night he'd had his hangover. He'd slept restlessly then, too. And she couldn't do anything to help him. "Sasuke," she whispered more urgently now. He moaned again and turned away from her.

The kunoichi bit her lower lip, debating whether or not she should even try to put him at ease. Knowing Sasuke, he wouldn't like her to interfere, but she couldn't stand to see him like this. She brushed his bangs out of his face, laying her palm on his forehead again. She envisioned light, bright and pure, to clear the darkness from his troubled mind. Soft blue chakra pulsed around her hand, flowing into the sleeping shinobi. It was meant to calm. She didn't want to wake him completely.

Unfortunately, she felt him struggle to pull himself out of his subconscious state. The blue light faded and his eyes snapped open. "What?" he asked harshly.

Akemi jerked back. She didn't think she'd ever get used to his quick reactions. "Having a bad dream?"

"Hn. You think you're the only one who has nightmares?" His voice had an even drier edge than usual to it.

"No, I was just…I thought I'd heard something, that's all." He continued to glare. "Nevermind. Sorry to bother you."

She wanted to ask what he'd been dreaming about, but on second thought she realized she didn't even want to imagine something that could frighten him.

Sasuke watched her take the candle and leave. He would never tell her how grateful he was that she'd woken him from the tormenting vision.

0000

He avoided her the following day. When she offered to cook (since it seemed the others didn't) he only showed her what might pass as a kitchen and left her to it. Akemi sighed when she looked through the food supplies: everything canned, boxed, frozen, dried…things that couldn't go bad for months or even years. She pulled out two cans at random, making a face when she read their labels. _'Fried bean curd,' 'boiled bamboo shoots'…What am I gonna do with these? I guess I could get back at Suigetsu by making him sick…heh._

It was only then that she realized she didn't have any recipes, either. _Guess I'll have to make something from memory…with these weird ingredients._

She looked at the fried bean curd, then at the packages of soup stock and _miso_ paste…_Miso soup should be easy._

_Boil the soup stock… _The recipe was simple enough, as long as she remembered the instructions. _Add miso paste…Or am I missing a step? Do you boil it separately..?_ If Akemi had had any idea she would be attempting to cook in a cave with limited supplies and no to help with recipes, she would've spent more time with her mother in the kitchen. Or, she could blame her mother for never being much of a cook in the first place, she mused as she stirred the soup.

After cutting the bean curd into strips, she tossed that in the pan, as well. She studied the thick yellowish substance skeptically. There still seemed to be something missing. Was it onions, or maybe scallions, that could be added? Akemi shrugged. Either one might work. It was just a matter of whether Orochimaru's chef-slaves had thought them important enough to stock.

She left to hunt down the vegetables. She didn't see the pot boiling over, or the kitchen filling with smoke, until she returned ten minutes later. (Needless to say, without the onions.)

"Aargh!" Akemi rushed over to the stove, clicked the burner off, and shoved the pot into the sink. Steam billowed around her head as soon as water hit the hot metal. Grabbing a green Scotch-Brite pad, the amateur chef began to attack the overcooked _miso_ sticking to the pan, all the while muttering to herself. "Gross…Stupid soup…Hate canned food…"

Unfortunately, the soup gunk was not about to be intimidated. Finally, in a fit of uncharacteristic anger, Akemi flung the pot out the door.

"Shit!"

She spun around to face an irritated Suigetsu, suds dripping down the side of his face. He held the pot in one hand like a weapon. "What the hell was that for?"

Her lips curled into a sneer. "_Sorry_. It's not my fault the pan decided to hit you in the head. It's such a big target, after all."

She was beginning to sound as annoying as Karin. "It's a little hard to _see_ the pan flying at your head when the hall is full of smoke." Suigetsu scowled down at the accused piece of cookware, only then noticing the "soup" clinging to the bottom. "You boiled it too long, didn't you?"

"Since when are you a soup expert?"

"I don't need to be an expert to know it's not supposed to look like _that_."

"Ugh. Why can't you stay locked in your room?"

"Aww, that's not fun. Do I really bother you that much?" His mocking smirk returned and he took a step closer. It amused him to see how uncomfortable he could make her.

Akemi, however, was at the end of her rope. Because of Suigetsu she couldn't look at a glass of water without thinking a person might form out of it. She _especially_ didn't like to take baths anymore.

One long finger jabbed him in the chest. "Yes, you bother me! Now go! Before I stick you in a jar with Alka-Seltzer," she threatened.

"Tch. There's no Alka-Seltzer here," Suigetsu scoffed.

She retrieved a pack from one of the cupboards and waved it at him menacingly. It was only then that she noticed the irony. "…Wait! There's Alka-Seltzer but no vegetables? Ha! I guess you need it – the crappy food you _do_ have would give anyone indigestion."

He raised an eyebrow at her sudden ranting but nonetheless stepped away from the offending tablets. He had no desire to become a fizzing science experiment.

"Ok, I'm leaving." Suigetsu brushed past her to pull a water bottle out of the fridge, which was what he came for in the first place. "Women…" he muttered to himself on his way out. They really were all the same.

By then Akemi wasn't even listening. She grumbled all the way back to the food pantry, hoping to find that instant ramen Naruto loved so much.

0000

After the cooking episode, the day passed fairly normally. Akemi hadn't encountered anyone, except for her chance meeting with Suigetsu. Juugo kept to himself or stuck close to Sasuke. Meanwhile, Sasuke conveniently made himself scarce. Karin had never spoken to her again, which was safe for both of them; whenever she saw the redhead, Akemi had a desire to push her off a cliff. (She told herself jealousy had nothing to do with that.)

So, as usual, Akemi found she had plenty of time to think. It was a bit like a vacation, she thought – days and days of…nothing. Except this was a far cry from a hotel, she by now knew there was no restaurant-quality food or room service, and "fun-filled planned activities" weren't part of her daily schedule.

In fact, nothing that had happened to her had been planned. Or fun-filled. And now she was stuck with Sasuke and the gang for who knew how long.

So much for wanting some closure. Hadn't it been closure enough when he'd rejected her twice? Maybe more than that, when you added up the arguments and the death glares. Any smart girl would've given up on him. Why was it so hard for her to? _Because you lo–_

"NO!" It disgusted her when she dwelled on the fact that, all this time, she'd been the one chasing after Sasuke, not the other way around. _Just like every other obsessed girl used to do. _He didn't want her to be a part of his life. He was moving on. Which might be good, Akemi considered. If she was a painful reminder of his past, then she didn't belong in his future.

_So then why am I here? _She wanted to scream out to someone, anyone.

Akemi tilted her head up to watch the sunset. She debated taking the risk of leaving then and there. She was almost fully recovered, and she might even be able to track down Kakashi's group again. The only thing holding her back was the approaching nightfall.

Instead, Akemi tried to make herself invisible in the shadow of the entryway. Of course she couldn't expect to be able to hide from any of Sasuke's three skilled team members. Juugo emerged minutes later, not appearing to notice the kunoichi until she spoke.

"Did Sasuke send you after me?"

"No." He moved to sit a safe distance away and stared out over the open landscape.

Intrigued by his short reply, Akemi decided she'd make the move and approach him. His demeanor was different from the others; he seemed tense, reserved, quiet. She recognized the same tormented look she remembered in Sasuke. She'd been warned not to provoke him, but starting a friendly conversation wasn't provoking him, right?

"We weren't introduced." She plopped down next to him though she sensed his unease. "I'm Akemi."

"I know." He barely glanced at her. They sat quietly for a few minutes; she watched curiously as a small sparrow perched on the demon-man's shoulder. Its trilling song broke the silence. Akemi raised an eyebrow when Juugo seemed to nod in understanding of whatever the animal was "saying," but she didn't ask.

The sun sank lower, red and violet painting the sky. "Juugo…" At the sound of his name his eyes shifted to her. "Do you know what Sasuke wants with me here?"

She thought she saw him shrug, the bird giving what sounded like an irritated chirp before flying away. Then he answered hesitantly, "He trusts you. But I don't think he knows what to do with you."

Her brows knitted in puzzlement. Before Akemi could question this statement, Juugo went on to ask, "Do you trust him?"

"Of course," came the quiet reply.

"So do I. We have something in common."

She smiled up at him as he rose to go inside. _Strange…but maybe he's not as cruel as they say. _But somehow, Juugo's question, and her answer, made her uneasy. _Do I _really_ trust Sasuke?_

"_When you get sick of being Sasuke's plaything…" _Suigetsu's voice teased. _'Plaything,' hmph. Sasuke doesn't seem to want anything to do with me, let alone _that

"_He trusts you…" And if that were true, I wouldn't feel like such a prisoner. _Akemi drew her knees up and rested her chin on them. The list of reasons for leaving just kept growing. _Doesn't know what to do with me…What's that supposed to mean? He could let me go! Is it really so difficult for him to do, when all he's wanted these past weeks was for me to disappear?_

0000000000000

_A/N:_ Whew! This story just doesn't want to cooperate. I finally turned this into an acceptable chapter...Next chapter should be getting back to more Sasuke.


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N:_ You know what I just realized? I've been working on this story for more than a year! O.O (Sorry 'bout that!) I admit, my interest in Naruto is waning, which doesn't help the writer's block. I'll just have to see where this goes, I guess.

0000000000000

"The dreams are getting more frequent. This place makes him stronger."

Sasuke was holding a meeting with the other members of Team Hebi. They exchanged troubled glances with each other.

"Then why don't we just finish the job and leave?" Karin suggested as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"It won't take care of the problem. Even if we destroy this place, it's not going to get rid of him."

"And I thought you said you killed him," Suigetsu muttered and slouched lower in one of the uncomfortable chairs.

Sasuke scowled. "I _said_ I was in control. Now he wants to take it back."

"So, what's the plan?" Suigetsu asked, used to their leader having an answer for everything.

Unfortunately, this time Sasuke didn't. At least not yet. "I have to think about it."

"You have an idea, though?" Karin pressed.

He gave her a blank look. "Maybe." He saw her eyebrow arch skeptically but chose not to care. He didn't have to give her any information until he made a decision. Pacing to the door, his hand paused on the doorknob, allowing him just enough time to rethink things. He didn't.

Karin's voice nagged at him just as he was about to step out. "Wait, where are you going?"

"To talk to Akemi."

Sasuke didn't need to turn around to know his three teammates were sending him dubious looks. Or, in Karin's case, a fierce glare.

He wondered if they thought he was weak, running to Akemi for advice. But what did it matter anymore? If he continued to fall apart – which, Sasuke admitted to himself, he was – they would, too. That inferiority complex he'd struggled with reared its ugly head again; he would end up failing them because he wasn't sure he was strong enough.

Sasuke dragged his hand over the roughness of the walls as he wandered through the passageways. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going; he only felt the cold stone scraping his fingers, heard the hollowness of his own footsteps. It wasn't long before he found himself standing outside a familiar door. Sasuke snorted in amusement at this thought; of course it was familiar, all the damn doors looked the same.

From outside the door he could hear the sounds of clinking and clunking as objects were picked up and then set down. He knew he should tell her to get out, forbid her from setting foot inside that room again, but realized it might only make her hate him even more. The last thing he wanted was for Akemi to turn away from him. Even if he hadn't needed her before, he couldn't risk losing her trust now.

Orochimaru's former student couldn't suppress a smirk when he heard Akemi make a disgusted noise, no doubt upon discovering something particularly repulsive in one of the many jars. Although the Sannin hadn't allowed him access to the forbidden room that held all his secrets, it hadn't stopped Sasuke. In fact, he had had some of the same horror-struck reactions as Akemi when he looked at the rows of scientific instruments and glass containers.

Not more than a second later, the sound of shattering glass exploded from inside the room, followed by soft cursing. Absently Sasuke wondered how such a feminine person could have such a dirty mouth. It was almost amusing, but his amusement didn't stop him from yanking open the door to see just _what_ Akemi had destroyed.

Akemi let out a startled squeak as the door banged open…and there was Sasuke. She couldn't seem to hide anything from him, and now she was getting caught yet again.

"Don't touch that," he commanded sharply. Her hand stopped mid-motion before she could pick up one of the larger shards on the floor. "You probably don't want to inhale, either," he added, referring to the noxious smell that was beginning to rise from the large puddle of unidentified liquid.

Akemi's eyes widened and she pressed her sleeve to her nose. She could practically _see_ the smell manifesting itself in a green cloud of noxious fumes…Or maybe that was just her imagination. Silently, Sasuke extended a hand to her, pulling her from her crouching position and helping her over the steadily growing puddle. As if she couldn't have gotten over it herself…

Once in the hall, the warm pressure of her hand made Sasuke realize he was still holding it. He released it quickly and folded his arms over his chest instead. "I'll clean that up later," he mumbled, almost to himself.

"Or have Suigetsu do it..." Akemi joked. She found the idea of pouring Suigetsu into a bucket and sticking a mop into him quite funny.

Sasuke gave her that _look_, cutting her laughter short. "What were you doing in there?"

Akemi cringed on impulse and prepared herself for another scolding from him. "Well…uhhh…I thought I'd take a look around, since I can't seem to do much else here anyway…"

But the lecture never came. Sasuke simply nodded, looking preoccupied. "Sasuke, are you…" she cut herself off, knowing by now that he didn't appreciate her concern.

"Huh?" he asked distractedly. Akemi shook her head, "Forget it." She sighed, about to walk back to her own room. This "conversation" was pointless.

"Akemi." A hand brushed her sleeve, enough to get her to turn around and give Sasuke an odd look. His face was inexpressive, as always. "I need to talk to you."

"Uhmm…Okay…"

0000000000000

"Do you think she was kidnapped?" came the blonde's obnoxious question.

"I highly doubt that."

Two pairs of eyes looked at Kakashi quizzically. He was being almost ridiculously nonchalant through all this. "Well…if she wasn't dragged off…" Naruto tried to make sense of Akemi's disappearance. "She wouldn't have…"

"Run away?" Sakura finished for him.

The Jonin shrugged. "If we find Akemi, we'll probably find Sasuke."

"I don't get it! Why would she –"

"She tried to cover her tracks, but I found her scent…and someone else's," Naruto's protest was interrupted by the appearance of Pakkun.

"Ha! So maybe she _was_ kidnapped, Kakashi-sensei!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Naruto, why would someone kidnap her and not the rest of us?"

"Umm…"

"C'mon, you two. The sooner we find her, the sooner we can get to Sasuke…"

0000000000000

"So…you're telling me that, technically, you killed Orochimaru, but not really because you think his soul is still alive…And somehow he got inside your head and is trying to take control of your body? Did I get that right?" Akemi's frantic voice was emphasized with random hand motions cutting through the air.

Sasuke didn't know she would take it so…well. And because he wasn't entirely sure whether he was expected to answer those questions, he gave a short nod.

Which must have been a signal for her to continue. "And now you want me to send you into some sort of trance so you can hunt down Snake-Man so he'll stop giving you nightmares and leave you alone once and for all."

She was looking at him again. _Studying_ him, as if trying to decipher if he was really as crazy as he sounded. And then a lightbulb went on. "Is that why you kept me here?"

_Dammit_. How was he supposed to answer that? "Akemi…"

"It is, isn't it? I can't believe you, Sasuke! You couldn't even be honest with me? I'm your therapist, for Kami's sake!" He started to say something, but she beat him to it. "No! I don't…" she sighed, "I don't know if I can do this anymore."

The kunoichi was halfway to the door before she turned. A hand raked through her long hair. "Maybe it's not worth it. This isn't a good relationship…"

Sasuke was almost sure she was talking to herself. But the mention of a 'relationship' annoyed him nonetheless. "Whoever said it was a relationship?"

"…It's not healthy…"

He scoffed. "Obviously."

"You've become this…_project_ I can't escape!"

"And you just noticed that now?" Sasuke growled. "You know it's because you treat me like one!"

Akemi glanced at him wearily. "I'm sorry." Sorry for so many reasons…

Sasuke watched her disappear into the shadows. He could have reminded her that no one had been completely honest with him, either. They had wanted to use a psychotherapist to get information from him. Not just any psychotherapist, but a friend. More than a friend, if he wanted to dredge up old memories. Which he didn't.

He didn't know how long he sat and stared at the door through which she'd left.

0000000000000


End file.
